Disney’s The Lion King Live Action Film Review

Disney’s 1994 classic The Lion King returns in a whole new way! The animated film was a box office smash hit, and this updated version will likely follow in those same footsteps. Directed by Jon Favreau, The Lion King live action techniques create the most incredible digital imagery that truly brings Mufasa, Simba and the rest of the pride lands and animals to life.

I was invited as media to review the film. All opinions are my own.

Disney’s The Lion King Live Action

About the film:

Disney’s “The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. 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 ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his. The all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon. Utilizing pioneering filmmaking techniques to bring treasured characters to life in a whole new way, Disney’s “The Lion King” roars into theaters on July 19, 2019.

Disney’s The Lion King Live Action film mimics the earlier storyline but with advanced and innovative digital techniques that will blow you away! With an all-new cast aside from an irreplaceable James Earl Jones, a few new songs – including one written and sung by Elton John, and state-of-the-art virtual-reality tools The Lion King is a must-see for everyone!

You will truly think all of those animals are standing together side-by-side as Simba is announced as the future king, however, it’s Disney’s talented artists that pull off this real-life imagery. You may question what you’re watching: is this live-action or animation?

I took both boys to screen the film with me as we are all fans of the original film and were eager to see the fresh version. I found myself singing, humming, and dancing in my seat to all the beloved songs that we know so well.

As I mentioned earlier, The Lion King storyline is the same, with a few small tweaks, and some updated dialogue that I especially noticed between Pumbaa and Timon. While most voice actors do not typically record together, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner who voiced the roles did, and their rifting/ad-libbing is refreshing.

If you loved the original Lion King movie (how could you not?), this artistically updated version will be pleasantly embraced. Grab your tickets early – I’m certain The Lion King Live Action will sell out in theaters!

One of the updates Jon Favreau makes is casting a more authentic cast for a film based in Africa. Apparently, I’ve watched the original film enough that I immediately picked up on the voice differences. While I felt the imagery was captivating, along with the storyline, I did prefer the original music. I may be in the minority saying this, I am not a fan of Beyonce or her music, so that transition to a grown-up Nala I wasn’t fond of. Overall, I found the remaining talented cast to be a welcomed addition to this beloved franchise.

See Disney’s The Lion King trailer below:

 

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