The Lion King (2019) is a devoid retread. Innovative remakes can deliver fresh perspectives, but this is a hollow copy. Pointless scenes are added and some key moments are inexplicably subtracted, weakening the themes. Character choices and motivations are muted, making them indistinct. Relationships are less developed. This is all exacerbated by the mild voice acting that's missing the intensity, sincerity, charisma, and chemistry of the original. Some of the actors are fair but others seem uninterested. The dialogue is more clunky, the narrative is more bloated, and the drama is less impactful. Dully safe, The Lion King is creatively bankrupt and emotionally distant.
Technically, The Lion King clashes with itself. Its incredible CGI creates an uncanny reality. Its cast is diverse and famous, yet sometimes unfit. The sound offers split cuts, diegetics, stings, slo-mo, combat, and surrealism. Its imagery has bland color and shameless plagiarism, but also lighting, focus, motion, and framing. Its realistic production design is generic and painfully unemotive. Its editing provides time lapses, dissolves, cross cuts, inserts, and match cuts, but also clumsy momentum. The uninspired music switches between recycled and forgettable. Overall, The Lion King has no personality or imagination, a cynical cash grab that misunderstands its predecessor.
Writing: 4/10
Direction: 3/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Acting: 5/10
Editing: 5/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Production Design: 4/10
Casting: 8/10
Effects: 9/10
Overall Score: 5.8/10
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