Hear the King Roar

Naaaaaaaaaants ingonyama bagithi baba; Sithi uhm ingonyama! Yes, that’s what you hear when The Lion King starts and it is stuck to all our memories.

The King of Pride Rock and the Pride Lands is back and this time he is more real than ever before.  Mufasa, Simba, Nala, Sarabi, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Zazu and the rest of the Pride Land animals are ready to retell their adventure to a new generation.

The photorealistic The Lion King is breathtakingly beautiful. The scenery, the animals, the movement, everything looks exactly like what we see in Africa. I bet it took the animators a ton of work to get everything working together so perfectly.

The character casting was perfect; I was as excited as a four-year-old when I heard James Earl Jones as Mufasa again. Donald Glover and Beyoncé are the perfect pair for the adult lions and Seth Rogan and Billie Eichner fits perfectly as Pumbaa and Timon, respectively.

The film is a perfect throwback to my childhood. It keeps the story pretty much the same, only taking a few liberties here and there. It’s more of a photorealistic translation then a remake like The Jungle Book.

I hear what the critics say, that the animals don’t really show emotion on their faces. I guess none of them ever visited the Savannah, because wild animals are literally not all emotional. You cannot do photorealistic and add human emotions. Yes, it takes away from the overall story, but the voice acting makes up for it.

All I can say is, the movie is not perfect, but brings the perfect sense of nostalgia to the forefront. Jon Favreau made a few mistakes, but he still did a great job. The movie might not be my favourite of the year, but I know Disney has the ability to perfectly retell all the amazing stories from our childhood.

Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. 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 soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

My Verdict

Do not go in expecting to experience the exact same emotions you did as a child, just go in and have some fun with the Pride Lands’ animals. It is a fun and beautiful retelling of an amazing story. Everyone did their part and I loved watching it. So get your tickets today.

My Rating: 7.8 out of 10 – Really Good

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