A visual treat.

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2019)

The Lion King is a live-action adaptation, of Disney's 1994 animated movie of the same name. After a family tragedy shakes up his life, lion cub Simba(JD McCrary) runs away from home, only to learn the true meaning of nobility, courage, loyalty & responsibility.
The Lion King is a great film. Director Jon Favreau tries his best to recreate the animated classic but, falls short. The CGI is gorgeous & the visuals are breathtaking. All the animals look super realistic. However, this prevents the movie from matching up to the 1994 original. Animals can't showcase their expressions as vividly or as subtly as human beings can. So, Simba, Mufasa, Scar, Nala, Zazu, Sarabi, Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki just can't portray various subtle, direct or complex emotions, that their traditionally animated counterparts in The Lion King(1994) could with ease. Certain unnecessary subplots are added to increase the run-time of the film. The updated versions of the songs, have been sung beautifully. The voice acting tries its best to make up for the lack of expressions on the animals' faces. Donald Glover is brilliant as Simba. Seth Rogen is spectacular as Pumbaa. Chiwetel Ejiofor is good but, just can't match up to Jeremy Irons' iconic performance, as Scar. Alfre Woodard is impressive as Sarabi. Billy Eichner is hilarious as Timon. Seth Rogen & Billy Eichner as Pumba & Timon respectively, share fantastic comedic chemistry & are the highlights of the movie. John Kani is effective as Rafiki. John Oliver is superb as Zazu. Beyonce Knowles-Carter is amazing as Nala. James Earl Jones is legendary yet again, as Mufasa. Keegan-Michael Key, Eric Andre & Florence Kasumba are excellent as Kamari, Azizi & Shenzi, respectively. JD McCrary & Shahadi Wright Joseph are adorable as Young Simba & Young Nala, respectively. The Lion King is worth a watch, for a massive dose of nostalgia & for families who can introduce their kids to this classic. You will love reliving all the iconic moments, that made up our childhood. Hakuna Matata!