Image: Disney
The Lion King series has come full circle 25 years after it first stirred audiences with its Oscar-winning songs and vibrant animation. Simba, the cheeky cub with his adventurous spirit and Scar, his jealous Shakespearean uncle were the ultimate contenders to rule Pride Rock and their battle for the kingdom that included ‘everything the light touches’ brought many to tears with its strong themes of grief and finding courage in exile.
That all said, how does the new offering compare to its predecessor?
The opening sequence is a shameless homage, almost duplicating frame by frame the animals of the safari and their revere of the new prince. Every minute detail from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope has been meticulously enlivened. Pride Rock could almost be a Trip Advisor destination with its swirling savannas. Mufasa (James Earl Jones, retaining his gravitas) is the measured ruler placed in a contemporary, environmental custodian role who hunts for what he needs and is reviled by wanton greed. “A king does not look for what he can take, but what he can give,” he instructs young Simba (JD McCrary –Little). Embodying the lustful, wasteful Scar is Chiwetel Ejiofor , slinking away as the gaunt predator who resents the restraint of his sovereign brother and desires unlimited prey. His call-to-arms coup song ‘Be Prepared’ is reduced to a war cry, and his crony hyena herd are more dutiful than they are comical.
John Oliver’s Zazu ensures the English voice of reason is still heard, albeit with bumbling results and Billy Eichner’s Timon and Seth Rogan’s Pumba provide the married couple comic relief dynamic, lifting the second third of the movie to new heights. Their acapella rendition of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ is a harmonised special treat. Each voice actor delivers exceptional results, but it is unusual to see the realistic animal faces bursting into song. Stripped away of their anthropomorphic qualities, it’s like a 3D immersive experience with vocals. Lifelike animals are brutal in their battles, and majestic in their stride. Yet the magic of the first movie was how raw the facial expressions and playful physicality were owing to their human resemblance.
There’s still plenty of meat to go around, and fans of the original will smile when they recognise they’ve been thrown a bone through similar tributes to key songs such as ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ and ‘The Circle of Life.’ That’s the lion’s share of the fun.
Verdict: 7/10
Walt Disney Studios
About The Author
