The Lion King

Grade: B+

Jon Favreau’s “live action” remake of The Lion King is, in many ways, a marked improvement over Aladdin 2019, and even Beauty and the Beast 2017. It is, in many ways, a perfect companion piece to the original animated movie from 1994, and I liked it just as much. Sometimes you can make lightning strike again.

When the all-familiar opening number – Circle of Life – came up, from the first shot to the film’s title popping out in huge letters on the button at the end of the song, I thought we were in for a systematic, by-the-numbers retread, like Gus Van Sant’s primarily shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. To my relief, the rest of the film is bursting with personality and original ideas. We travel from the same Point A to the same Point B, but along the way, there are slight detours. Trails are blazed, and the almost all-new cast infuses their own flavor into the characters they inhabit. And can I take a moment to say bravo to the voice talent on their DICTION! Lyrics that I’ve been unable to decipher for 25 years cut through the mix with amazing clarity now, particularly in I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, the Oscar-nominated likable hero from 12 Years a Slave, turns villain – with a Scar you will love to hate. The hyenas have a fun, hip rapport with each other. As Pumbaa, Seth Rogen basically plays himself, not that there’s a thing wrong with that. Nathan Lane as the original Timon was very big, brassy, and Broadwayish. Billy Eichner, the new Timon, is more like a sassy, deadpan, sarcastic sidekick. Neither one is better than the other – just two interesting and different takes. Donald Glover and Beyonce as adult Simba and adult Nala are charming and effective.

Which brings us to the only carry-over from the original: James Earl Jones as Mufasa. I was reminded of Dana Carvey’s impression of his father, that he did in two different stand-up specials; one in 2008, and again in 2016. That bit is one of my favorite parts of the 2008 special, and the impression changed 8 years later, to bittersweet results. Old Mr. Carvey sounded softer, slower, less “with it,” and closer to the end. There isn’t as jarring a difference in Mufasa’s portrayals, but I did detect a bit of age and wear in JEJ’s now-88-year-old voice.

I mentioned the freshness that this new Lion King brings. It is peppered with new jokes and moments of dialogue that I thought ranged from cool to brilliant. Lazy movie critics sometimes fall back on an old routine where they just quote their favorite lines and bits in the review. I’ll give away my favorite. During the Hakuna Matata number, at the end of Pumbaa’s verse, he is famously interrupted with a “Not in front of the kids!” by Timon. He does not get interrupted in the new version. Oh yes, he says it. I mean, he goes the full length of the expression.

Grade: B+