The Lion King Review: The film lacks the original essence

Ever since we heard about the release of The Lion King, our inner kids have jumped with joy. It’s true, the Circle of Life gives the grown man to relish his childhood days with the release of the live-action The Lion King. Although one cannot hold back the excitement, truly, The Lion King is nothing less than a disappointment. 

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You may be wondering why it is disappointing. The live-action of The Lion King was supposed to be astonishing and grand, but it lacks the feel everywhere except the visual front. The film is grand when it comes to visual, but when it is about narration, the film truly loses the essence. 

The Lion King Review: What is the movie about? 

We’re all aware of the story of The Lion King. Mufasa, the Pride of Jungle, bears a son Simba who he wants to ascend the throne. But, the jealous, Scar, Mufasa’s brother wants to be the King and looks for ways to get rid of Simba and Mufasa. The death of Mufasa comes as a shock to the jungle, but Simba takes over the kingdom and moves on his way to become the rightful heir to the throne. 

The initial part of the movie deals with Simba, a cute cub knowing about the beauty of life. He is seen singing, dancing, and moving around and claiming, “I just can’t wait to be the king.” His curiosity to become the king makes him land far away from his home. The movie deals with him coming back to claim his rights as the King. 

No doubt, the movie is visually very pleasing. If you want to experience the true beauty of CGI, and live-action animation, The Lion King is a must-watch. Everything about the movie is so much photorealistic that you wouldn’t be able to differentiate. Honestly, the movie will remind you of The Jungle Book. 

Where does the problem begin?

The film had an enormous amount of photo-realism, which is why it lost its essence. The original was a classic because it had the emotional charges on the faces, beautiful and colorful animations. But, the live-action remake fails to make a connection with the audience. Too much of photo-realism makes the movie emotionally and color bereft. 

The movie has everything, and yet it lacks the essence of the original The Lion King. Simba is supposed to have a slow and transformational journey, but the movie is quite quick in showing that. The director had several opportunities to portray the real theme but failed to do so. 

In a lot of previous movies, Disney has brought changes for the good, but The Lion King is left somewhere behind. Another major problem was with the casting of actors. The film focuses more on celebrity faces rather than storytelling. 

Beyonce Knowles being cast as Nala does not do justice to the voice of Simba being given by Donald Glover. There is definitely the lack of rustic charm. James Earl Jones as King Mufasa is an absolute delight, and so is Alfre Woodard as Simba’s mother, Sarabi. The heavy voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar serves as justice, but John Oliver as goofy Zuzu lacks the essence somewhere. 

The movie is an absolute delight to watch, but if you want the true essence, you will not enjoy the movie. The film does bring in too much realism, which often turns absurd because the animals are dancing and singing. Nonetheless, the fact that scenes are brilliant shouldn’t be chopped out.