Disney’s new ‘The Lion King’ fails to offer any improvement over the original film

Posted on July 26, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

I’m beginning to run out of different ways to start these reviews of Disney’s seemingly never-ending stream of adaptations of its classic animated films. The latest, “The Lion King,” is the third this year, although it technically can’t be classified as a live-action remake since everything we’re seeing on screen is computer generated.

Before I get any further into this review, I need to make something absolutely clear. The original “The Lion King” is not the original “Dumbo,” a film I had almost no emotional connection to, or even the original “Aladdin,” which left a mark on me more for Robin Williams’ wonderful performance as the Genie than the story or other characters. “The Lion King,” which hit theaters when I was 13, is one of the staple films of my childhood, and widely considered one of the best animated films ever produced by Disney.

As such, I went into the new version of “The Lion King” as a heavy skeptic, but willing to give the film a chance despite the fact that I had little need for it personally. Maybe I didn’t give it a proper chance, but ultimately, upon leaving the theater, I had not seen or experienced anything that was better than what we got 25 years ago. And for me, if a remake can’t improve on the original, then no matter what other positives it might have, it has ultimately failed at its primary mission.

With that said, audiences seem to be enjoying the movie, giving “The Lion King” an “A” CinemaScore, which is derived by essentially exit-polling moviegoers around the country. If you are looking forward to seeing this movie, don’t let my negativity dissuade you from going. You may enjoy it just fine. But, if you have the same reservations I had going into “The Lion King,” keep on reading for my thoughts.

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