Movie · 2019 · Adventure, Drama, Family, Animation · 1h 58m · PG · English
Curator score: 1.6/10 (912.2K ratings)
The king has returned.
Overview
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. 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 ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.6/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 2.87/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
Metacritic: 55
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Jon Favreau
Production
Walt Disney Pictures, Fairview Entertainment
Cast
Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Oliver, Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, John Kani, Alfre Woodard, Beyoncé, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Penny Johnson Jerald, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric André, Florence Kasumba, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Amy Sedaris, Chance the Rapper, Josh McCrary, Phil LaMarr, J. Lee
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A visually impressive but emotionally flattened remake that trades the original’s expressiveness, musical energy, and warmth for photorealistic spectacle. It may work as a curiosity for viewers interested in Disney’s remake era or in the technical craft of virtual animation, but as a story experience it feels stiff and redundant.
Best for
viewers curious about Disney’s live-action/remake strategy
fans of photorealistic animation and VFX experimentation
families who want a familiar story with modern visuals
Skip if
you want the original’s emotional impact and musical sparkle
you’re sensitive to lifeless facial animation or muted visuals
you dislike corporate retreads of beloved classics
Overview
This remake has scale, polish, and technical ambition, but it rarely feels alive. The photorealistic approach undercuts the very qualities that made the story endure: expressive faces, bold color, and musical numbers that burst with theatrical energy. What remains is a faithful retelling that often feels strangely distant from its own emotions.
Worth noting
For some viewers, the attraction is simply seeing a familiar story rendered with cutting-edge effects. The animal realism is undeniably meticulous, and the production is a notable example of Disney’s push toward virtual filmmaking. But the result is more museum piece than reinvention, more demonstration than drama.
Bottom line
If you love the original, this version is hard to embrace as a replacement. If you’re interested in the mechanics of blockbuster remakes, it’s worth a look as a case study in how technical spectacle can coexist with creative caution. As a movie, though, it mostly confirms that realism is not the same thing as vitality.
Top Letterboxd reviews
demi adejuyigbe · 5863 likes
this is going to sound extremely stupid but my big problem with this movie is that nobody has eyebrows and i truly believe the movie would be fine if everybody just had eyebrows
ella (1.5★) · 4911 likes
simba seeing scary hyenas: 😐
simba nearly perishing at the hands of said scary hyenas: 😐
simba looking at his beloved father’s dead body: 😐
simba seeing his best friend nala after years of separation: 😐
davidehrlich (1★) · 3571 likes
Unfolding like the world’s longest and least convincing deepfake, Jon Favreau’s (almost) photorealistic remake of “The Lion King” is meant to represent the next step in Disney’s circle of life, but this soulless chimera of a film comes off as little more than a glorified tech demo from a greedy conglomerate — a well-rendered but creatively bankrupt self-portrait of a movie studio eating its own tail. In other words, it’s more of the same from a company that’s been all… more Unfolding like the world’s longest and least convincing deepfake, Jon Favreau’s (almost) photorealistic remake of “The Lion King” is meant to represent the next step in Disney’s circle of life, but this soulless chimera of a film comes off as little more than a glorified tech demo from a greedy conglomerate — a well-rendered but creatively bankrupt self-portrait of a movie studio eating its own tail. In other words, it’s more of the same from a company that’s been all… more
Marco Tontodonati (1.5★) · 2704 likes
THEY FILMED "CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT" DURING THE FUCKING DAY
IT LITERALLY SAYS NIGHT IN THE FUCKING NAME YOU IMBICILES