As the one person my age who doesn’t remember watching the animated version as a child, The Lion King (2019) was a new story for me. Aside from its iconic opening, you could have easily convinced me that Jon Favreau’s version was a complete departure from its predecessor. That’s why I came into this movie with such a different perspective than many other people I’ve talked to. 

It’s a solid story with strong characters that follows the same beats as many other revenge plots. There’s also not much you can do to screw up the music(the one thing from the 1994 version that I was familiar with) and those moments are the strongest parts of this new rendition. All the voice actors do an adequate job with their roles and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan as Timon and Pumbaa are particularly memorable. The two have such good chemistry with their constantly entertaining back and forth banter. 

It’s all perfectly passable. I left not particularly impressed but also not particularly disappointed. The Lion King (2019) is very middle-of-the-road and as someone who didn’t know the 1994 version very well, I scratched my head as to why. Perhaps its simply the nostalgia factor that makes so many my age hold the original so dear to their hearts. 

Whatever it may be, that’s not why this new installment deserves such a lengthy conversation. It’s more about what the film represents and that’s a major dilemma within Hollywood. On the one hand, this and Favreau’s The Jungle Book are remarkable technological achievements which represent major steps forward in the visual effects industry. It’s amazing to think that everything you’re seeing is computer generated. I that sense, The Lion King (2019) is a one of a kind marvel that will open up the door to major progress in the industry. 

On the other hand, while the story was new to me, for most, it’s a shot for shot remake of the original and although I am a gigantic Favreau fan, the lack of creativity in this movie is disappointing. It’s hard to see this film and these other live-action remakes as anything but a money grab by Disney and in an age when originality seems to be losing its value, The Lion King (2019) isn’t starting a good trend. Simply tracing what was popular in the past shouldn’t be the new normal and while some may argue it exposes a new generation to these classic stories, I’d argue that other, much older cinematic staples such as The Godfather are still watched and extremely prominent within pop culture. 

I have no problem with Disney’s live-action slate as long as most prove to be reinterpretations as opposed to retreads. That’s why I’m excited for a movie like Mulan. It looks to be drawing inspiration from the original without copying and pasting its greatest hits. I don’t mean to downplay the revolutionary work and incredible effort that it took to bring the Lion King (2019) together. I just wish it had been used to reimagine a beloved classic rather than settle for something that is “too good to mess with.” To me, that’s a cop-out and with the film’s lackluster reception, it will be interesting to see what path Disney takes in the coming years.