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The Lion King (2019) review thread | Can't Feel The Love Tonight

Doom85

Member
Okay, I'm actually not auto anti-remake like some people. So far I've felt with the line-up:

Cinderella - pretty good, both the original and new one have pros and cons over each other
Jungle Book - honestly, the original was only noteworthy for the songs to me. The new one was incredible, I cared more about the characters, the animals were detailed yet expressive, and Shere Khan was not be fucked with in this version
Beauty and the Beast - it's pretty good but kinda meaningless, since so little is changed from the original and thus the superior original version will be the one I always will see for any re-watch. Remakes should be faithful to the general story but add plenty of their own elements
Dumbo - haven't seen it yet, but I did hear it goes on way too long, like it should have been 20-30 minutes shorter
Aladdin - pretty good, singing was on point, Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie were well done, granted Jafar is inferior to the original but he's merely okay which is at least not as bad as I was dreading based on what I saw of him in the trailers

With Lion King, as a movie alone it's okay, but as a remake it's BAD. Removing the "yes, the past can hurt" dialogue scene between Simba and Rafiki is a new level of stupid I've never seen before, Mufasa's message is important but it's Rafiki's argument about facing the past that really sends it home so removing it was insanely dumb. And nothing of the new stuff was relevant, dragged out scenes focusing just on visual porn of the environments and visual effects, and a pointless scene of Nala leaving Pride Rock that added nothing while the movie actually spends even less time on Simba and Nala re-uniting than the original. And the performances are all over the place. Timon and Pumbaa are actually really good, the acting is on point and even the directing actually makes them feel animated. Kid Simba and kid and adult Nala are all good performances. Zazu is okay.

The songs are well-sung (except for Be Prepared, the actor sounded like he was just saying the lyrics and not singing), but man the stuff on screen during some of them was lame. Can't Wait to be King is so focused on realism in what the animals are doing on screen that it feels so devoid of life compared to the animated one that had the animals doing all sorts of crazy shit. And Can You Feel the Love Tonight is sung DURING THE DAY. How the hell do you screw up such an obvious detail?!

But man, I love Donald Glover but he just did not work as adult Simba. James Earl Jones clearly was too old by now to come back, I heard a Youtuber suggest Keith David which would have worked. I don't even remember Rafiki's performance because they fuck up every single scene he's in, from the one I mentioned, from changing his hugging of Mufasa to merely patting him (seems kinda rude to pat the KING), and making his emotional reactions to thinking Simba has died and then later finding out he is alive feel less emotional compared to the animated one. And Scar, just weak. Performance wasn't good and they pretty much removed all of Scar's funnier deliveries in the animated one. Remember how Scar says, "oh look, Zazu, you made me lose my lunch" as the mouse escapes and it was amusing. Here, Scar says it so plainly it's not even clear if the director realized it's supposed to be a joke given the other use of that phrase.

So yeah, the same director of Jungle Book, which made the animals feel realistic yet also let them show genuine emotions and also all the voice talent nailed it. I don't know how he fucked this one up so bad, maybe his heart wasn't into it as much as Jungle Book, maybe the production was rushed by the executives or something, but yeah, this is NOT a good remake, again coming from someone who has liked a few of them.
 

Hari Seldon

Member
I thought the Aladdin remake was the best of all the new remakes. I haven't seen Jungle Book though. Aladdin is worth it just for Jasmine, got damn. Although they did throw in one non-original song that was really cringy but whatevs, it gave Jasmine more screen time.
 

Kenpachii

Member
looked soulless to me.

Also felt like disney was more busy trying to push there SJW narratives with the cast then anything else.

Not shocked.
 

Azurro

Banned
The movie just doesn't have any soul. The original songs had this very deliberate look to them, playing with different tones, shadows and colours, this movie has none of this, they made everything happening on screen ordinary and basically dead.

The animals simply lack facial expressions to serve the plot and at times it took me out of the scene and reminded me it was just a guy in a sound booth saying his lines, as the facial expressions always failed to keep up. Timon and Pumba were the best ones and the animation for them still felt stilted at times.

There are smaller issues with the more realistic look, I don't know if it's to keep up with the realistic tone, but some of the more out there elements of the original just don't work here. Scar playing with his food looks strange, Simba sustaining himself on worms kind of looks ridiculous when in the original you'd just give it a pass. Not to mention the missing scenes such as Rafiki losing his kung fu abilities and Zazu not being in a bone cage.

Even some elements of the plot don't make sense due to the realistic look. During Mufasa's death some parts of the cliff he was climbing looked like he could have comfortably held on there for a while while the stampede passed him by instead of climbing up.

I have to give props to the scene containing Mufasa's message, it kept up with the original in tone and made it look even more impressive and heart warming, just a shame the rest of the movie didn't.
 

Doom85

Member
Also felt like disney was more busy trying to push there SJW narratives with the cast then anything else.

A) the movie is set in Africa, and B) once you know it, it does sound silly in the original to hear Nala go from being played by a black actress to a white one when she appears after the timeskip (at least Simba is played by a white actor at both ages so it doesn't sound jarring). At least adult Nala in this one actually sounds like what the young one would be when she grows up. Doesn't mean Donald Glover and whoever played Scar don't feel miscast but I don't think trying to focus on having a black cast is the issue. Besides, they still have some white actors like for Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa, but I guess that's "not good enough" for certain people.
 

juliotendo

Member
I saw this movie last night and woke up today in the theater alone and cold, and it appears someone ate half my popcorn and stripped me down to my underwear. Not sure what happened.
 

sol_bad

Member
looked soulless to me.

Also felt like disney was more busy trying to push there SJW narratives with the cast then anything else.

Not shocked.

This forum ... is insane. You don't even see the actors on screen yet you still have an issue with hiring black people in an African setting? What?

I'll do what Doom85 Doom85 did

Alice in Wonderland - Dreadful, terrible turd of a movie from Tim Burton. The CG looked terrible and the jokes were terrible.
Maleficent - Just watched it for the 2nd time the other night. This is what a remake should involve if you ask me. It sticks to the original story but expands on it in a good way. Fleshes out a lot and I am excited to see the sequel.
Cinderella - I saw it at the cinemas but honestly can't remember it, need to see it again.
The Jungle Book - Absolutely loved everything about it. Sticks very close to the original film from what I remember but the remake is more exciting and involving.
Alice Through the Looking Glass - Even worse than the first film and I didn't think it was possible.
Beauty and the Beat - Much like Cinderella, I saw it at the cinemas but can't remember much. Need to see again.
Dumbo - Utter trash tier, the film has no direction, there is no focal character and it definitely doesn't focus on the titular character. Also from Tim Burton, no idea what the fuck has happened to him.
Aladdin - Loved everything about it, loved how they expanded on Jasmine's character arc and loved her new song. Beautiful visuals.
The Lion King - The film looks great but something felt off throughout, half way through I really noticed that there was basically no facial animation apart from the mouths. It was soulless. Wife and I watched the 194 cartoon when we got home and there is so much more joy within the film. And yes, the things that they removed from the remake are baffling beyond belief. It's not a terrible film, it's still entertaining, but not brilliant. The "action scenes" were cool in this new version.
 

Kenpachii

Member
This forum ... is insane. You don't even see the actors on screen yet you still have an issue with hiring black people in an African setting? What?

I'll do what Doom85 Doom85 did

Alice in Wonderland - Dreadful, terrible turd of a movie from Tim Burton. The CG looked terrible and the jokes were terrible.
Maleficent - Just watched it for the 2nd time the other night. This is what a remake should involve if you ask me. It sticks to the original story but expands on it in a good way. Fleshes out a lot and I am excited to see the sequel.
Cinderella - I saw it at the cinemas but honestly can't remember it, need to see it again.
The Jungle Book - Absolutely loved everything about it. Sticks very close to the original film from what I remember but the remake is more exciting and involving.
Alice Through the Looking Glass - Even worse than the first film and I didn't think it was possible.
Beauty and the Beat - Much like Cinderella, I saw it at the cinemas but can't remember much. Need to see again.
Dumbo - Utter trash tier, the film has no direction, there is no focal character and it definitely doesn't focus on the titular character. Also from Tim Burton, no idea what the fuck has happened to him.
Aladdin - Loved everything about it, loved how they expanded on Jasmine's character arc and loved her new song. Beautiful visuals.
The Lion King - The film looks great but something felt off throughout, half way through I really noticed that there was basically no facial animation apart from the mouths. It was soulless. Wife and I watched the 194 cartoon when we got home and there is so much more joy within the film. And yes, the things that they removed from the remake are baffling beyond belief. It's not a terrible film, it's still entertaining, but not brilliant. The "action scenes" were cool in this new version.

A) the movie is set in Africa, and B) once you know it, it does sound silly in the original to hear Nala go from being played by a black actress to a white one when she appears after the timeskip (at least Simba is played by a white actor at both ages so it doesn't sound jarring). At least adult Nala in this one actually sounds like what the young one would be when she grows up. Doesn't mean Donald Glover and whoever played Scar don't feel miscast but I don't think trying to focus on having a black cast is the issue. Besides, they still have some white actors like for Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa, but I guess that's "not good enough" for certain people.

U don't see the actors. White people can play any person in africa perfectly fine as white people are also in africa maybe you didn't notice that fact. Africa is kinda big you know.

The distorted delusion of US people that africa is black and black only with some wannabe black africans that are like generations apart from being an african and where africans don't even remotely identify with. But but black skin so yea must be african. U guys are prime examples of it.

But its africa we need black people to play them or else its ridiculous. Nice indoctrinated views going on over there.

U are as much african as beyonce is, yet black skin matters most at least to disney and people like you get baited by it as u are so indoctrinated that colors matters that honestly it becomes just cringe worthy.

Those 2 got sololy picked by disney which is racist and sexist as fuck by the way as they select on skin color and race before anything else these days to fit there "progressive agenda' instead of quality of players. Which is basically the definition of racisme the same goes with gender.

It's not like skin color matters when you play a freaking animated lion or anything it has no skin color, it's not even a icon of a character like for example arial that is clearly white + red hair. Yet they rammed a black character in it because 'progressive" while they go out of there way to find in jungle book and aladdin the right kind of skin colored people because hurr durr it matters then as long as it aint white.

Look if they hired them and they where the best fit ( hell it could be a entire black or a entire white cast ) and advertised with the entire cast that is a mixed bag of races ( or not ) then it's all fine to me and not because they are a mixed bag of races but because they fit the role the best. Yet they specifically didn't and went out of the way to showcase the most african looking people in the cast to get kudo's from other racist people that matter about skin color the most over anything else.

Go tell me a movie that has a entire black cast or a entire white cast from disney? oh wait didn't happen.

Yea there you go.

They slam in every movie a black guy or a white guy because oh boy can they not stand it not having race representation.

Just look at the shit fest that star wars is. That black actor is god awful, that girl well she actually fits the bill but isn't projecting power, that dark vader actor is awful with acting, there shoehorning girls in powerful positions everywhere and a asian lover for that black guy that obviously is chubby. Oh boy. And then you got that SJW starwars rebellion leader with her purple hair lamo. U can't make this shit up.

They all are god awful at acting. And it shows.

Sorry i see for what things are and not for what some culture tries to indoctrinate u in thinking. Anybody here see's a pattern with disney and there advertisement.

The fact they do the advertisement the way they do, says enough about there agenda.

ps

The Disney logic and US logic on this matter is that.

Well if we got a all white cast, we just hire a black guy for some role and we are no longer looking racist, becausewe also represent that color of race.

Uh guess what, hiring that black guy = racist as fuck. Because you hire on his skin color only and not quality.
 
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Doom85

Member
Show us on the doll where Disney touched you, Kenpachii. Seriously, Christ, calm the fuck down. You're venturing into "crazy conspiracy theorist" territory and that's an abyss no reasonable person should hope to fall into.

And let's see how many fuck-ups you made:

-"U are as much african as beyonce is" Oh, I'm sorry, do we know each other? Or did you just make a certain assumption about me? Or do you just assume only people of certain races post on forums?

-"But its africa we need black people to play them or else its ridiculous" never said it was, way to put words in my mouth, but I did say one can clearly tell the difference in the black actress who plays young Nala and the white actress who plays adult Nala. Accents and such are a thing, and you're not living in reality if you think otherwise

-"Those 2 got sololy picked by disney which is racist and sexist as fuck by the way as they select on skin color and race before anything else these days to fit there "progressive agenda' instead of quality of players" WOW. So right, you don't sound totally rude to basically being telling every single non-white actor/actress that the only reason they were hired was to be "progressive" and not their acting quality. You just SOMEHOW know it could never be their talent. That's a very backhanded insult to each of those actor and actresses, you're just telling them, "you didn't get the job because of your talent, you were gonna get it any way". How fucking rude of you.

-"Yet they specifically didn't and went out of the way to showcase the most african looking people in the cast to get kudo's from other racist people that matter about skin color the most over anything else." This just in on Kenpachii News; John Oliver, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen are "african looking". More at 11. Also, "african looking?" But I thought you said you shouldn't automatically associate black people with Africa, and yet look what you just did, HMM.

-"Go tell me a movie that has a entire black cast or a entire white cast from disney" Frozen. Seriously, that was fucking easy. And we're going main cast only, obviously if you include every single extra there will be a white, black, Hispanic, etc. person somewhere. Or should we also be harassing the extras too saying, "you only got this job because of your skin color!" Geezus.....

-"They all are god awful at acting. And it shows." Well, I feel differently, but since you clearly just view me a brainwashed sucker I get the feeling my opinion is irrelevant to you in this matter

-"The fact they do the advertisement the way they do, says enough about there agenda." Ah yes, show the names of the cast in the teaser, something CLEARLY never been done before in the history of cinema. Also let's just ignore that Seth Rogen was the 2nd person's name shown, or do you still consider him "african looking"?

-"Uh guess what, hiring that black guy = racist as fuck. Because you hire on his skin color only and not quality." Well, I was avoiding the R-word but since you feel like so casually hurling it at people, I guess it's all fair game. So I can flip that around and say you are racist as fuck for never seeing a non-white actor/actresses' presence as deserved but just "oh they were guaranteed that part because of an agenda I just assume every casting director follows". How do you like them apples?
 

Super Mario

Banned
Expected to see them interject a bunch of political propaganda in like they have in a bunch of their recent movies. Did not get that. So that's a plus

Overall, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I do not get the comments on its lack of expression. The whole point here was to make it as "realistic" as possible. Lions don't make all kinds of dumb faces.

What fell flat for me was the music. I was expecting the first song to just punch me in the face with brass knucks. Didn't get that. Some of the other songs were too "different" rather than powerful.
 

psorcerer

Banned
Utter crap. Voodoo magic transforms dead animal bodies into zombies that walk and talk.
All songs are butchered.
Be Prepared is totally destroyed.
Mufasa's Death - ... I don't really know a correct metaphor, fucked up beyond recognition?
The worst remake of a brilliant classic.
 

ruvikx

Banned
Utter crap. Voodoo magic transforms dead animal bodies into zombies that walk and talk.
All songs are butchered.
Be Prepared is totally destroyed.
Mufasa's Death - ... I don't really know a correct metaphor, fucked up beyond recognition?
The worst remake of a brilliant classic.

I came here to post something similar. It's IMO one of the biggest cinematographic disasters in recent years considering the source material. The key point missed by the filmmakers: where's the emotion? Where's the characters? It's just dead eyes devoid of any life whatsoever with facial expressions (or lack thereof) which don't match the voice actor performance (which are also totally inferior to the original, for what it's worth). It's a monumental screw up from a design perspective & leaves the film as nothing more than an impressive tech demo.

Hans Zimmer's score was so beautiful it also just further emphasized the disaster, i.e. all the epic, funny & emotional beats of the original were either non-existent or butchered in this "thing" Disney spewed out. I had to use my memory of the 1994 cartoon to mentally fill in the gaps left by the emotionless performances on display. WTF.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
According to wiki, it's made $1.6 billion in box office sales. Add in dvd/br sales and it'll probably be $2 billion. Disneys cut will be about half that.

Don't be surprised if more Disney movies get CGI'ed with real life graphics. It seems the general public loves it.
 
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