The Lion King
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: Jeff Nathanson
Voices by: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, JD McCrary, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, John Oliver, James Earl Jones, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric André, Florence Kasumba, John Kani, Alfre Woodard
Animation/Adventure/Drama - 118 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 13 July 2019
Written by: Jeff Nathanson
Voices by: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, JD McCrary, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, John Oliver, James Earl Jones, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric André, Florence Kasumba, John Kani, Alfre Woodard
Animation/Adventure/Drama - 118 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 13 July 2019
When 1994’s The Lion King hijacked pop culture for a summer, a sizable section of the audience ordained themselves Simba acolytes. They were a camp who deduced profound meaning in the circle of life, the prodigal son, and the destiny fulfillment themes. My teenaged self fell in the camp of meh - the movie was fine, but I prefer Aladdin. The Lion King took itself too seriously and subsequent viewings were a chore because of the ultra-linear three act structure - young Simba, stunted Simba, and mature Simba. This is how the remake will shake out. If you knelt at the alter of the original, then you will champion it all over again 25 years later. If The Lion King was only another Disney installment for you, then the new one will be take it or leave it, unless you have a kid now who hasn’t seen it yet.
Bravo to the technicians who made computer lions look like real lions. Now, apply this groundbreaking technological prowess to some original material and you might have something more than a cash grab. Loyal readers know my opinion on Disney’s habit of raiding their movie closet, dressing the material up in a new hat and scarf, and diving into their gold coin vault ala Scrooge McDuck every time an update rakes in another billion dollars. It’s cynical, it’s lazy, but it’s capitalism. As long as you keep buying tickets to see a movie you’ve already seen, they will keep remaking it. Anyways, I digress.
Bravo to the technicians who made computer lions look like real lions. Now, apply this groundbreaking technological prowess to some original material and you might have something more than a cash grab. Loyal readers know my opinion on Disney’s habit of raiding their movie closet, dressing the material up in a new hat and scarf, and diving into their gold coin vault ala Scrooge McDuck every time an update rakes in another billion dollars. It’s cynical, it’s lazy, but it’s capitalism. As long as you keep buying tickets to see a movie you’ve already seen, they will keep remaking it. Anyways, I digress.
Director Jon Favreau, who already remade The Jungle Book a few years ago, fiddles with the tone dials. If Scar’s menacing threats and associated hyena attacks were at a four, they are now at an eight. The new Lion King is more violent and allows more time for clawing, scratching, and biting. If the comic relief of Timone and Poomba were at a lighthearted five to allow the audience a chance to recover from the Mufasa incident, they are now at a seven. They are snarkier and have a bit more situational awareness of events going on around them. The duo, voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, also have one of the more delightful additions to the update with a rendition of the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”.
25 years later, I can see how Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) may take umbrage at some week-old pipsqueak’s excitement about how crazy it will be to give ol’ uncle orders one day. Makes one ponder the merits of lion meritocracy instead of divine right of birth during the “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” song. At least Scar would feel like he earned something and appreciate the position a bit more than a kid gifted the crown and scepter. The script gives Scar a more populist feel this time, “Mufasa is yesterday’s message.” He promises the hyenas an antelope in every pot. Mufasa does not believe the strong should do as they please allowing room for weaker animals and minorities to share a place in the hierarchy. Scar has a more traditional view of how things should operate in the Pride Rock kingdom.
I am unsure what in the remake is new and what is carried over. One moment I appreciate that Favreau does an admirable job of showing instead of telling is a sequence detailing the circle of life with a piece of Simba’s mane floating in the wind and everywhere it goes before winding up in Rafiki’s hands. In a land of repeat and copy/paste, this and a couple other wink/nudge moments are about enough to not to make the exercise feel refreshing, but at least lukewarm different. Yet, only atmosphere and details which do not touch plot are a bit off the original’s track. Everything with Mufasa happens all over again.
Did we overdramatize Mufasa’s demise 25 years ago? Some folks debate whether or not to endure The Lion King because they must relive their childhood traumas. But, nobody was traumatized in 1994 - a certain mythology developed around it. We remember it worse than it was - we don’t actually see it happen. I peeked over at my six year-old and it was like water off a duck’s back. Parents die in just about every Disney film, but he will be told time and again Mufasa’s was the most visceral and seeing it will end his childhood. Nope, he’s good. But it’s how you respond to the material. If you are a card-carrying member of the Simba brotherhood, Mufasa probably did alter your childhood. If you decline to pledge allegiance at the shrine of the king and find the whole exercise over done, Mufasa is Bambi’s mother - she’s there, and then it’s springtime.
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