The Lion King movie review: Jon Favreau's aggressively mediocre retelling lacks heart and nuance
5 years, 5 months ago

The Lion King movie review: Jon Favreau's aggressively mediocre retelling lacks heart and nuance

Firstpost  

It seems the Circle of Life nowadays is being a grown man watching a Disney reboot of a beloved animated film from childhood. We’ve had three of those this summer alone, and the latest – a remake of one of their greatest – The Lion King is aggressively mediocre in every department except for the visuals. The Jungle Book needed a human Mowgli to keep the emotional core alive and because The Lion King doesn’t have this compass, we’re left with a rather dreary nature documentary of sorts. Simba’s arc in the entire film is only anchored by luck – that after being banished from his kingdom he meets two jolly friends and a paradise like society which takes care of him, after which he luckily bumps into his childhood friend who takes him back home, and his two friends help him overthrow the evil Scar. Negative buzz would not harm The Lion King because it is too big a brand to fail, but it does indicate Disney’s proclivity for greedily rushing into rehashing classic properties – which is ironic considering what Scar does to the Pride Lands in this film.

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History of this topic

‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ review: Barry Jenkins’ stamp is largely missing
2 weeks, 6 days ago

‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ review: Barry Jenkins’ stamp is largely missing

Live Mint  

The most striking aspect of ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’, Disney’s prequel to ‘The Lion King’ circa 2019, is the photorealistic animation, unlike the 2014 conventionally animated film about Simba, Mufasa, Scar and the Pride Lands of Tanzania that launched a hit soundtrack. The wise shaman Rafiki regales Kiara with a sweeping story about her legendary grandfather, from the time Mufasa …

Mufasa: The Lion King—Key money lessons to help you rebalance your portfolio
3 weeks ago

Mufasa: The Lion King—Key money lessons to help you rebalance your portfolio

Live Mint  

Disney knows how to sell plushies to kids and tug grown up hearts with stories of love and loss. but this time no matter what calamities befall these cute as button cubs who are trying to get away from ghost lions and a perennially furious mother nature… What money lessons do we learn from Mufasa and Taka’s adventures in the …

Mufasa: The Lion King — Pointless prequel with no style or substance
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Mufasa: The Lion King — Pointless prequel with no style or substance

Hindustan Times  

Mufasa: The Lion King serves as yet another chapter in Disney’s relentless pursuit of revamping its animation classics for a modern audience, often at the expense of originality. Directed by Barry Jenkins, this prequel to the 2019 The Lion King remake explores the origin story of Mufasa, the noble lion whose legacy shapes the Pride Lands. Rafiki uses this as …

Mufasa: The new Lion King is a roaring achievement—and a waste.
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Mufasa: The new Lion King is a roaring achievement—and a waste.

Slate  

On their journey to the fabled land of Milele, the motley band of animal adventurers at the heart of Mufasa: The Lion King must cross what legend describes as the deepest canyon in all the land, a forbidding cleft that plunges deep into the earth. Five years on from Jon Favreau’s digital remake of The Lion King, Mufasa appears to …

Unmissable Stories to Hit Big Screens This Weekend
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Unmissable Stories to Hit Big Screens This Weekend

Deccan Chronicle  

This week promises a selection of cinematic gems that cater to a wide range of tastes. From Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King to Tamil cinema’s powerful Viduthalai Part 2, high-tech thriller UI, Malayalam’s character-driven Marco, and the emotional family drama Vanvaas, the big screen has something for everyone. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the franchise or new to the …

Movie Review: Barry Jenkins brings fresh energy, originality to the ‘Lion King’ prequel ‘Mufasa’
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Movie Review: Barry Jenkins brings fresh energy, originality to the ‘Lion King’ prequel ‘Mufasa’

Associated Press  

“Mufasa: The Lion King” has one very important thing going for it: an original story. A prequel to “The Lion King,” opening in theaters Thursday, it’s a tale of found family, betrayal and destiny, one that begins to explain the estrangement between brothers Scar and Mufasa that we all know will end in murder, how Mufasa ends up as king …

What did the original Lion King movie get wrong about life on the savannah?
1 month ago

What did the original Lion King movie get wrong about life on the savannah?

ABC  

For many millennials, the 1994 Disney coming-of-age classic The Lion King formed an integral part of our childhood. Scar's more attractive than Mufasa Simba's uncle Scar is a typical Disney villain who wants to see Simba and Mufasa dead so he can take over as king of the Pride Lands. And it's that dark mane that would make Scar popular …

Elton John criticises music of Jon Favreau's The Lion King: 'Magic and joy of original 1994 soundtrack is lost'
5 years, 2 months ago

Elton John criticises music of Jon Favreau's The Lion King: 'Magic and joy of original 1994 soundtrack is lost'

Firstpost  

Elton John says the new version of The Lion King was a “huge disappointment”, owing to its lackluster music. Three months after the release of Jon Favreau’s live-action version of Disney’s The Lion King, Sir Elton John has shared his opinion on the music of the new film. In an interview with British GQ, John says the music of Favreau’s …

Original ‘Lion King’ animator criticises Disney remake
5 years, 5 months ago

Original ‘Lion King’ animator criticises Disney remake

The Hindu  

David Stephan, one of the original animators of 1994’s The Lion King, has blasted the remake of the classic Disney film, calling it “cheap”. Stephan, in an interview with Huffpost, said the studio’s decision to go for a reboot “kind of hurts” as he believes it was driven by their commercial motivations. “If you polled the crew of the original …

What Do The Original ‘Lion King’ Animators Think Of The Remake?
5 years, 5 months ago

What Do The Original ‘Lion King’ Animators Think Of The Remake?

Huff Post  

Simba, Timon and Pumbaa in Jon Favreau's "The Lion King." Maybe if we got any kind of royalties it would be different.” David Stephan, who in the early ‘90s contributed to the opening “Circle of Life” sequence and the hyenas’ design, summed up the “hate it” camp succinctly, saying, “If you polled the crew of the original ‘Lion King,’ most …

"The Lion King," beautiful and bland: With nostalgia upgrades, there's always a cost
5 years, 5 months ago

"The Lion King," beautiful and bland: With nostalgia upgrades, there's always a cost

Salon  

Occasionally, a well-respected chef will announce a pop-up event called something like “Eating Nostalgia” or “Dinner With Your Inner Child.” Adults will gather for a tasting menu of exquisitely-prepared takes on kids’ food: a PB&J is now a fig and almond butter panini, the french fries are dipped in aioli. Watching “The Lion King,” I couldn’t help but think of …

The Lion King review: Disney's live-action remake is a technological marvel of unprecedented hyperrealism
5 years, 5 months ago

The Lion King review: Disney's live-action remake is a technological marvel of unprecedented hyperrealism

The Independent  

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. PG, 118 mins If you were dropped in the middle of …

The Lion King, iSmart Shankar, Kadaram Kondan, Aadai: Know Your Releases
5 years, 5 months ago

The Lion King, iSmart Shankar, Kadaram Kondan, Aadai: Know Your Releases

Firstpost  

The Lion King follows a young lion named Simba growing up in the African wilderness after his uncle Scar plots to usurp his father Mufasa’s place as king. The Lion King hits theatres along with the Telugu film, iSmart Shankar as well as Tamil-language releases, Kadaram Kondan and Aadai. The Lion King What’s it about: The film follows the storyline …

With ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Mandalorian,’ director Jon Favreau cements his status as a Disney MVP
5 years, 5 months ago

With ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Mandalorian,’ director Jon Favreau cements his status as a Disney MVP

LA Times  

Heading into this week’s opening of his new photorealistic CGI remake of “The Lion King,” you might assume that director Jon Favreau would be coasting on a wave of pure “hakuna matata.” After all, if you’re following in the footsteps of one of the most successful and beloved films of the past quarter century, animated or otherwise, what could there …

‘The Lion King’ review: Almost coming full circle
5 years, 5 months ago

‘The Lion King’ review: Almost coming full circle

The Hindu  

Be it traditional animation or contemporary photorealistic digital/computer animation, what has worked for The Lion King is the “humanification” of animals. The Lion King Director: Jon Favreau Starring: Voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Beyonce Knowles-Carter Voices of SRK, Aryan Khan, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sanjay Mishra, Aasrani, Shreyas Talpade, Shernaz Patel, Achint Kaur Run time: 118 …

Disney's live action Lion King rules the savannah of remakes, reboots and spin-offs
5 years, 5 months ago

Disney's live action Lion King rules the savannah of remakes, reboots and spin-offs

ABC  

Ah yes, the circle of life. And 25 years or a moment later — because time and memory and nostalgia have long since collapsed in on each other — Disney's The Lion King is back again for the first time, to roar across the savannah of superheroes, half-baked reboots and lazy spin-offs that our recycled culture keeps spawning. Those familiar …

25 years later, ‘The Lion King’ roars again (with Beyoncé)
5 years, 5 months ago

25 years later, ‘The Lion King’ roars again (with Beyoncé)

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — It was just a few months ago that director Jon Favreau was sitting in a scoring session with composer Hans Zimmer for “The Lion King,” his ambitious and technology-driven reimagining of the 1994 animated classic, and he and everyone else in the room were getting a little emotional. “The Lion King” is three years in the making …

Lion King director Jon Favreau defends live-action remake after ‘Hakuna Matata’ backlash
5 years, 5 months ago

Lion King director Jon Favreau defends live-action remake after ‘Hakuna Matata’ backlash

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jon Favreau has defended his photo-realistic reboot of The Lion King …

Film review: The Lion King
5 years, 5 months ago

Film review: The Lion King

BBC  

Film review: The Lion King Alamy Disney’s latest photo-realistic remake “is full of adventure and is just as sweetly engaging,” writes Caryn James. Eichner, who nearly runs off with the film, has a tone of witty cynicism running through his lines John Oliver tells deliberately hokey jokes as Zazu the hornbill, flying around and hovering protectively over Simba. The music …

Disney’s Lion King Remake Is a Dazzling Safari in the Uncanny Valley
5 years, 5 months ago

Disney’s Lion King Remake Is a Dazzling Safari in the Uncanny Valley

Slate  

The uncanny valley is a place whose ecology is changing even faster than that of planet Earth. Since then, advances in digital animation technology, including in performance capture, CGI-augmented stop motion, and the combination of human and animated figures in the same frame, have happened so rapidly and in so many domains at once that the once-steep uncanny valley—the term …

Shah Rukh Khan on The Lion King: Its story gives a lot of morals, reflects the teachings of your parents
5 years, 5 months ago

Shah Rukh Khan on The Lion King: Its story gives a lot of morals, reflects the teachings of your parents

Firstpost  

Shah Rukh Khan says he generally does not look for moral lessons in a film but believes The Lion King is important because it talks about the bond between a parent and child. Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan says he generally does not look for moral lessons in a film but believes the story of The Lion King is important because …

African safari inspires Lion King director Favreau
5 years, 5 months ago

African safari inspires Lion King director Favreau

China Daily  

A still image of the upcoming remake of Disney's 1994 classic, The Lion King, featuring the character Simba. With experience accumulated from the 2016 hit, The Jungle Book, which seamlessly combines live-action performance with photorealistic CGI animals and landscapes, Favreau seems competent enough for the job, exemplified by the vivid presentation of Simba and other animal characters in film's trailers. …

Review: Disney’s photo-real ‘The Lion King’ remake sings a new yet familiar tune
5 years, 5 months ago

Review: Disney’s photo-real ‘The Lion King’ remake sings a new yet familiar tune

LA Times  

Film Critic Given its reliance on spanking new, mind-bending visual technology, it would be tempting to say that Disney’s latest classic remake is not your father’s “Lion King.” Except it sort of is. No wonder practically the first thing director Jon Favreau says in the film’s production notes is, “I felt a tremendous responsibility not to screw it up.” A …

Shah Rukh Khan on The Lion King: ‘Unfortunate that you remember teachings of parents when they are not in your life’
5 years, 6 months ago

Shah Rukh Khan on The Lion King: ‘Unfortunate that you remember teachings of parents when they are not in your life’

Hindustan Times  

Shah Rukh Khan says he generally does not look for moral lessons in a film but believes the story of The Lion King is important because it talks about the precious bond between a parent and child. Shah Rukh Khan’s parents in an old picture and him at his house on Eid this year. “It’s unfortunate that you remember the …

The Lion King: Beyoncé drops new original song 'Spirit' from Disney live-action remake
5 years, 6 months ago

The Lion King: Beyoncé drops new original song 'Spirit' from Disney live-action remake

Firstpost  

‘Spirit’s tune comes at a pivotal moment for Nala, the character voiced by Beyoncé, in The Lion King Beyoncé dropped new original song from Disney’s live-action The Lion King. It’s part of an album called The Lion King: The Gift that Beyoncé is executive producing and performing on along with other artists. The collection is a companion to the main …

The Lion King: Disney announces cast of Hindi, English, Telugu and Tamil versions of its live-action remake
5 years, 6 months ago

The Lion King: Disney announces cast of Hindi, English, Telugu and Tamil versions of its live-action remake

Firstpost  

P Ravishankar will play Mufasa. Disney unveiled the voice cast of the English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions of its upcoming film The Lion King. For the Telugu dubbed version, Nani will lend his voice to Simba, Jagapathi Babu voices antagonist Scar and P Ravishankar will play Mufasa. 19 July 2019 release in #English, #Hindi, #Tamil and #Telugu pic.twitter.com/8huskn9R6l — …

Disney's New Lion King Is the VR-Fueled Future of Cinema
5 years, 6 months ago

Disney's New Lion King Is the VR-Fueled Future of Cinema

Wired  

For the 26 million people who watched Friends in the mid-’90s, Jon Favreau was Pete Becker. Today, it’s hard to describe Favreau’s latest project, the much-anticipated Lion King remake, without thinking of Pete Becker. The Lion King is the next installment in Disney’s series of reworked animation classics, which includes not just The Jungle Book but also live-action updates of …

Shah Rukh Khan, son Aryan lend voice to ‘The Lion King’ in Hindi
5 years, 6 months ago

Shah Rukh Khan, son Aryan lend voice to ‘The Lion King’ in Hindi

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Disney India is all set to take localization for Hollywood films to a new level, with actor Shah Rukh Khan and his son Aryan lending their voice for the Hindi version of its live action comedy The Lion King. The legacy of Lion King is timeless; and being a part of this iconic re-imagining with my son Aryan …

With new versions of ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King,’ Disney straddles nostalgia and novelty
5 years, 8 months ago

With new versions of ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King,’ Disney straddles nostalgia and novelty

LA Times  

It’s Hollywood’s version of the circle of life: Take an old movie that’s hardwired into one generation’s childhood memory banks, give it a fresh coat of cinematic paint and send a new iteration into theaters for the next generation to hopefully fall in love with just as their parents did. A live-action version of 1992’s “Aladdin” hits theaters May 24, …

The Lion King: Director Jon Favreau says upcoming live-action film is not 'shot-for-shot remake'
5 years, 8 months ago

The Lion King: Director Jon Favreau says upcoming live-action film is not 'shot-for-shot remake'

Firstpost  

The Lion King is one of the many live-action remakes of Disney’s classics like Beauty and the Beast and the upcoming Aladdin. One of Disney’s highest-grossing films, The Lion King, was loved by the audience worldwide when it released in 1994. Now, Jon Favreau’s live-action remake about the lion prince Simba, who aspires to rule the Pride Lands like his …

The Lion King trailer: Simba faces the villainous Scar yet again in Disney's live-action reimagining
5 years, 9 months ago

The Lion King trailer: Simba faces the villainous Scar yet again in Disney's live-action reimagining

Firstpost  

The Lion King is one of the many live-action remakes of Disney’s classic films like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo. Disney finally released the official trailer of its upcoming CG and live action reboot of The Lion King. The trailer ends with Timon and Pumbaa humming ‘Hakuna Matata.’ Jon Favreau, who directed Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle …

The Lion King trailer: Disney releases new look at remake starring Beyonce and Donald Glover
5 years, 9 months ago

The Lion King trailer: Disney releases new look at remake starring Beyonce and Donald Glover

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Jon Favreau has directed the film, which features Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as …

‘The Lion King’ trailer hints at the jungle’s give and take
5 years, 9 months ago

‘The Lion King’ trailer hints at the jungle’s give and take

LA Times  

Life can be good and life can be bad, young Simba is taught in the new trailer for Disney’s new version of “The Lion King,” which dropped Wednesday, 100 days ahead of opening night. “While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.” A darker message comes from Scar and the hyena …

The Lion King: New poster and trailer released for Disney reboot starring Beyonce and Donald Glover
5 years, 10 months ago

The Lion King: New poster and trailer released for Disney reboot starring Beyonce and Donald Glover

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new poster and trailer for Disney’s CGI-animated remake of The …

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