The world would have been fine without another Disney remake. Although The Lion King is visually stunning, it’s treading familiar ground. I was expecting new elements or scenes in the movie that made a significant impact. However, it was mostly a shot for shot repeat of the animated film. This is not a bad thing though.

It is a timeless story that everyone can appreciate and enjoy. We all know from the marketing that the voice cast is stacked to the ceiling! James Earl Jones returned to voice Mufasa. Chiwetel Ejiofor played a calculative and creepy Scar. This version isn’t as heavy on songs or animals performing high-flying maneuvers. Instead it reads like a National Geographic documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman.

I loved seeing familiar characters. Even though some of them were fucking terrifying like Pumbaa. The biggest gripe I have with the film is the actual voices. While some delivered lines with gravitas, others fell flat, and monotone. This was disturbing to me. It didn’t take me out of the story entirely, but made the overall experience less lively. When it comes to this property, I’ll stick to the animated version. The Lion King 2019 gets a 5.5 out of 10.