Movie 39 Day 39
Have you ever heard a song but it sounds a little off and you find out it's actually a cover and not the original song? That is what The Lion King feels like. Except for Mufasa, no one but James Earl Jones could be Mufasa. Don't get me wrong, The Lion King is a visually STUNNING film. Absolutely gorgeous, lush and beautiful. I had a hard time separating what was real from CGI. I'm pretty sure it's all CGI but it's so unbelievably realistic. The directing by Jon Favreau was detailed and proves this man knows how to make a good movie but the Lion King lacks originality. Let me explain....
The Lion King feels like a shot for shot remake of the animated classic. What I have loved about the re-imagining of Disney Classics is they bring something new to the screen. Beauty and the Beast brought a deeper story into who Belle and the Beast were. We saw new songs and new elements of the story. The same goes for Dumbo, Cinderella, Maleficent, and Aladdin. One of the great successes of Aladdin was not trying to be the animated version. Guy Richie didn't want to recreate the original, he wanted to make it his own. We don't feel like Will Smith is trying to be Robin Williams. One of the flaws with the Lion King is it hardly separates from the animated classic. There are hardly any new character developments. It was a missed opportunity to go full Shakespeare on this story. (You realize The Lion King is basically Hamlet with a happier ending, right?)
Moving on...
Where were the Broadway songs? I understand there are rights and legal issues but now that this film has come out, it's very unlikely the Broadway show will be on film. This movie would have been a perfect opportunity to bring some of the Broadway magic to the big screen. How can you cast Beyonce as the voice of Nala and NOT have her sing Shadowland?!?!?!?! WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY!!! How are you not going to have He Lives In You sung by Rafiki to help a struggling Simba figure out who he is? I was so disappointed none of the Broadway songs were in this movie. Instead of making the film something new, they stuck way too close to the animation. There were only two new songs, one by Beyonce that hardly stands out and a new song during the credits sung by Elton John. It would have been such a boost if the movie would have thrown the Broadway Show's songs.
Some of the voice acting seemed a little flat at times. I'm not sure if it was the sound quality but the voice acting lacked passion. The cartoon animation voices had so much emotion and the CGI just lacked that enthusiasm. I will say Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar was brilliant, except for his singing. Scar does not really sing, he does more of a sing talk of Be Prepared. Other than that, Chiwetel was full of rage, danger and mystery. He gave me chills with every word he said. Some of the other actors fell flat. You could tell they were reading a script instead of living in the character. At least that's how it felt to me.
Where the film succeed Timon, Pumba, Kamari, and Azizi. The only part of this film that felt fresh was the new take on these four characters. Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan voiced Timon and Pumba and they were hilarious. I found myself laughing every time they were on screen. You can tell they did a lot of improv with these characters. It brought a freshness and an originality that the film desperately needed. Keegan-Michael Key and Eric Andre were the voices of Kamari and Azizi. Think of them as modern Banzai and Ed. They are the comic relief of the terrible hyenas. In the animated film, the hyenas were bad but they were also really funny. In the CGI version, they are dark and terrifying creatures of the night. Shenzi, voiced by Florence Kasumba is the sinister leader of the hyenas. She wants to kill all the lions and is a dark character to have in a children's movie. Thank goodness for Kamari and Azizi, they are goofy and bring a little joy to these unredeemable characters.
Over all The Lion King is a visually stunning piece of CGI art. I don't know how they made all of the animals look so real. I swear Disney must have a real talking Rafiki hidden in Disney Wold! The film still made me cry 3 times! I even knew it was coming and I still cried! Is it worth seeing? I would say yes. The animation is something to be marveled at. The story may not be original but it is still beautifully told. I listened to the Broadway soundtrack immediately after leaving the theater. Kids will love it and you will laugh with Timon and Pumba.
