THE CIRCLE OF LIFE RETURNS THE LION KING

In their third remake this year, Disney brings us a photorealistic vision of their 1994 classic The Lion King.

This coming-of-age story tells of the lion Simba (Donald Glover), the crown prince of the Pride Lands. Idolising his father, the great Mufasa (James Earl Jones), Simba looks forward to the day when he becomes king.

But his dreams are shattered when his conniving uncle, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), murders Mufasa, forcing Simba into exile.

He finds safety with the meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner) and the warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogan) and grows up in their carefree lifestyle.

The one true king can’t be kept away forever though.

With some help from his childhood friend, Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), and the wise Rafiki (John Kani), Simba will have to return to Pride Rock to restore the circle of life.

First off, I will say this is a technical masterpiece. Every single character in this looks exactly like a real-life animal thanks to the impressive visual effects.

This marvel of computer generation however, is also a double-edged sword.

Because the characters are too realistic-looking, their faces are static and lacking in physical emotion.

The voice actors can be providing heartfelt performances, but the jarringly realistic design of their characters end up hindering the final product.

This problem applies to the musical numbers, which lack the same dynamic feeling that the original animation gave us.

This is especially evident in the song “Be Prepared,” which is drastically shortened and lacklustre by comparison.

Some of the scenes feel a little rushed as well, failing to carry the same emotional weight as the original.

In the end, this film is fine just not great.

I think it’s the first time I’ve watched one of Disney’s live-action remakes and wished I could be watching the original animation instead.