Is Disney's The Lion King Remake Worth It?
Jon Favreau's technically stunning remake stumbles on emotion, but finds redemption in its music, cast, and nostalgic power.
Just like 1994’s animated counterpart, Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King opens with a sunrise over the African savannah. It includes the same familiar songs, iconic images, and quotable lines of dialogue as the original – a source of contention for many critics and viewers alike. Unlike the original, however, this remake was approached with a meticulous attempt at realism among the animals and landscapes. While the realism inhibits the animals from showing full emotion on their faces, the classic story in a new medium slightly wins out with help from an all-star cast, beautifully modernized music, and of course, gorgeous visuals.
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother -- and former heir to the throne -- has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
Voice Actors in The Lion King (2019)
The Lion King (2019) features some of today’s finest acting talent. Donald Glover voices Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter voices Nala, James Earl Jones reprises his role as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor voices Scar, Seth Rogen voices Pumbaa and Billy Eichner voices Timon (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg). For the most part, these actors are stellar in their voice roles. Donald Glover does a nice job portraying the complexities of Simba’s internal struggles, while Beyoncé commands her performance as Nala in a slightly larger role for the character than the original. While her new single, “Spirit,” didn’t fit perfectly within the film, the song itself is a nice addition to the lineup.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is menacing as Scar, but not over-the-top. I liked that his character wasn’t overly dramatic, but calculating and reserved. His rendition of “Be Prepared” (the biggest departure from the original tunes) may not be as memorable as the original, but it fit the character much better in this iteration of the film. Strangely enough, the least emotive and invested performance is that of James Earl Jones in his return as Mufasa. I’m sure it’s a difficult thing to imbue life into a role you’ve previously performed, but his take felt emotionally isolated from the rest of the cast. Unsurprisingly, it has been reported that Jones was the only member of the cast not to record dialogue with the rest.
Eichner and Rogen steal the show as Timon and Pumbaa, a pure result of recording (and likely riffing) alongside each other. They brought these characters to life in a completely new light, while still maintaining the essence of Timon and Pumbaa. I found myself smiling every time they were onscreen. One unexpected song from the duo makes a brief appearance in the film’s finale, much to the applause and laughter of my theater’s audience.
Visuals and Music in The Lion King (2019)
Now on to the real showstopper – the visuals. I can’t speak highly enough of the work that Jon Favreau and his team put into this incredibly realistic portrayal of the animals and their homes. The animals look and move like real animals; the sun and rain look like real sun and rain. It’s stunning. One scene that built upon the original is 4 minutes of a tuft of hair floating through various landscapes and situations. That may sound laughable, but it turns out to be an impressive display of the film’s animation and a wonderful visual representation of the “circle of life.”
Unfortunately, the remake’s biggest flaw is also its greatest strength: the realism. We can’t see the pain in Mufasa’s face as Scar betrays him, or Simba’s smile as he enjoys the “Hakuna Matata” life. A few dramatic moments were either unemotional or even laughable because of the lack of emotion.
The filmmakers have made it clear that vivid emotions were not their goal, and they did a lot within their limits. Simba’s chest heaves and ears go back when he’s sad. Scar’s eyes narrow when he’s scheming, and Timon’s head droops when he sees Simba and Nala together. This is far from the emotion of the original, but it is interesting to see how “real” animals portray those emotions. I admire the effort of the filmmakers on this front, but the emotions really do fall flat as a result of the realism.
I would be remiss to write a review and not mention Hans Zimmer’s incredible update to his original Oscar-winning score. Zimmer mentioned wanting this iteration of the score to feel like a live performance, bringing in more musicians and performers than the original. He succeeds wildly, with new arrangements that fit the film’s tone perfectly, and orchestrations of even the same cues sounding fuller, crisper, and more organic.
The Problem with Disney’s Live Action Remakes
I understand and partially agree with the complaint that this film is a shot-for-shot remake. Very little has been changed about this story from the original version, and many specific shot selections (such as the dramatic zoom-in on Simba as Mufasa dies) are nearly identical as well.
But this isn’t a new trend for Disney. 2017’s Beauty and the Beast features the same story beats as the original, leaving much of the same shots and dialogue intact (the same is also true for 2019’s Aladdin). In fact, several of Disney’s attempts at drastic departures from their original animated counterparts have not been well-received (Dumbo 46% on RT, Maleficent 54%). In other words, remakes are a tricky business. Stick to close to the original and people complain about lack of creativity; depart too much from the original and risk even further criticism.
You can read my thoughts on the challenges Disney’s live action remakes face below:
Some say Disney shouldn’t have remade The Lion King at all. I’m not sure I agree though. I loved seeing this new version, flaws and all. A friend of mine shared a story about her little girl who watched 2019’s The Lion King having never seen or heard of the original. Now she’s obsessed with both versions of the film and the characters.
Does this entirely justify remaking all Disney’s animated films? And to what extent should the films remain “the same” and still be praised? I don’t have the answers to those questions, but if live action remakes like these are introducing younger generations to classic stories, that is a noble task in and of itself.
The Lion King may be flawed in both its conceit and execution. But at the end of the day, it is also among the strongest family films released this year. I would rewatch this remake of The Lion King before I would rewatch The Secret Life of Pets 2, UglyDolls, or The Lego Movie 2. The lack of originality and emotional range are real detractors, but the updated music, voice cast, and incredible visuals still make this film worth a watch.