'The Lion King' mini-review — Richard Attenborough is shook

The Lion King reimagines the 1994 classic animated film of the same name in “live-action” with Donald Glover, Beyoncé, and James Earl Jones.

90-second review: For a remake to be successful it has to have a reason for existing. And having the technology to make photorealistic animals and environments is almost reason enough for a remake of The Lion King to exist. However, instead of using the technology to tell a story, director Jon Favreau lets the technology dictate what he did. The result is less than inspiring.

Because the movie is essentially a shot for shot remake, making it “live-action” had to add something to it, which it doesn't. The times that it works is when the movement of the characters feel cartoonish — particularly the scenes with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumba (Seth Rogen), which are the highlight of the film. It also helps that those scenes divert from the source material. Something that needed to happen way more. The actors recorded together, which allowed the dialogue to feel fresh and natural.

On the other hand, many of the scenes involving adult Simba (Donald Glover) and adult Nala (Beyoncé) fall completely fat without that same chemistry and dynamic style. Instead, they feel manufactured. Just look at “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” which ironically takes place in the daytime. It plays more like the background of a karaoke video than a pivotal emotional moment in the film.

The movie is nowhere the disaster that some have made it out to be. The photorealism largely doesn't work and at times — like the stampede scene — is a hinderence. That still doesn't stop it from having its moments. “Hakuna Matata” and “The Circle of Life” have as much impact as the original, but is that a reason for existing? The answer is a resounding no.

Where to watch The Lion King: In theaters now.

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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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JD McCrary as Young Simba, Billy Eichner as Timon, and Seth Rogan as Pumba in THE LION KING. Credit: Disney Studios

Karl Delossantos

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Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.