A ROARING SUCCESS

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2019)

The magic of movies is their ability to transports us from our everyday existence into wondrous worlds we will never have the opportunity to explore. These worlds are not limited to worlds outside of our solar system but worlds within our own planet as well. They might take us somewhere in history. They might take us 20,000 leagues under the sea. Or they might transport us to the plains of Africa. Such is the case with THE LION KING.
Based on the animated feature from 1994, now 25 years in our past, Disney has added this tale to their series of remakes that are "live action" versions of older films. I use the quotes around this because while this film looks live every single thing in it with the exception of a sunrise sequence at the film's opening was created inside of a computer. From the hair in the lion's manes to the twigs on the ground, everything was done this way.
If you're not familiar with the story it's a Shakespearean tragedy in the works. Loyalty, betrayal, family murder and diabolical manipulations in the royal court make up this story. The film opens with the birth of Simba, the young cub of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Held aloft by baboon shaman Rafiki for all to hail only one member of the royal court is missing. Scar, the brother of the king named so for the disfigurement on his face, is lamenting the birth. He feels the throne is rightfully his and does little to disguise his unhappiness.
Simba is a playful and inquisitive cub. He makes friends with a lioness named Nala, another cub destined to be his queen though the two think this could never happen. Scar plays on Simba's inquisitive nature and plots with the hyenas to lure him away from the pride and have them kill him. They fail and he sets another plan in motion.
Creating a stampede of wildebeests Simba is nearly killed until his father rescues him. Wounded while doing so he clings for life on a ledge. Scar sees this as his chance and pushes his hands free killing him in the fall. But Simba blames himself for the death of his father and Scar encourages this belief, telling him to run away which he does.
On his journey Simba meets a warthog named Pumba and a meerkat named Timon. They become fast friends and take him to their home where Simba grows into a full sized lion. Time having passed Nala comes across Simba and tells him he needs to come home. Scar has laid Simba's homeland to waste and is killing more than he should. The land is barren and the animals are leaving. Only a true king can lead the land back to what it once was. But can Simba find that strength and courage to do so or will Scar rule out?
There is a depth of story here that most animated features don't espouse to. And many that do fail to achieve the goal of being both a story with some meat on it and entertaining at the same time. THE LION KING achieves both of these goals and does so with so much emotion that you'll find yourself having a difficult time not cheering out loud for Simba or crying at moments like Musafa's death. Director Jon Favreau has taken the original film and copied it nearly verbatim, adding tweaks here and there and giving it an entire new look with the CGI animation.
That animation is amazing to look at. It's difficult to describe the intensity of the look of this film. As I said every image on screen here from the backgrounds to the creatures are all done inside a computer. And while CGI films of the past have offered some amazing visuals this movie takes it to a whole other level. I can remember the first time I saw MONSTERS INC. and was stunned at the hair on Sully moving in the wind. But this is far beyond that. The animals move like real animals, the breeze moves branches, the drops of rain that hit the ponds leave ringlets that expand out. Every detail is meticulously planned and works here. As the movie progresses you suddenly are in that world and believe you are watching reality as opposed to animation. That is a stupendous achievement.
I'll be honest, I wasn't looking for this movie to impress me that much. I still haven't decided if the desire to alter Disney's classic films into CGI fests is a good or a bad move. Some have done well and others have not been that impressive. This one though is one that needs to be seen. I will say this. The animation here is so good that some of the scenes may be disturbing for small children. So be prepared to talk to them about what takes place. If you can do that then this film will hold their attention from start to finish with no problems. My guess is that like me, you'll add this one to your shelf to watch not once or twice but repeatedly, enjoying every minute as you do so.