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With his mythical story of life and death, not to mention a cast of lions and hyenas, The Lion King was an unlikely candidate for a photo-realistic treatment. But the new film plunges into naturalism, with a dazzling authenticity: herds of zebras, elephants and computer-generated antelopes parade on screen against a vast African panorama, towards Pride Rock, where King Mufasa is waiting to hold his little Simba. With the Circle of Life in the background, this majestic scene takes us into the fascinating world of the film before a word is spoken. This is perhaps the computer image, but the Lion King has more sense of life than the many recent remakes of classic movies animated Disney.
The opening scene recalls the beginning of the 1994 original that almost turned for filming. It does not take a detective to understand why this film quickly became a classic. He has adorable animals and competes with Bambi in his moving death of a parenting story. The original songs of Elton John and Tim Rice are so alive and exciting that they are now as familiar as anything in The Sound of Music.
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Jon Favreau's movie is funnier than the original, though it highlights the dark themes of the story. He adds some useful scenes and two ordinary songs. However, it does not move much away from the classic. This is not a visionary, artistic reinventing that the Broadway version was. Director Julie Taymor has brilliantly added more music, masks and fantastic giant puppets. This film, however, is a cautious remake that is inspired by its realistic visuals. Some actors have a more realistic rendering than others, which makes the tone a little erratic. But if the new Lion King is not as transparent as previous versions, it is full of adventure and equally engaging. The words of the animals are not perfectly synchronized with their mouths – the only obvious defect among all the technical magic. This distraction soon disappears, as the power of history takes over.
As in the original, the first words come from the bitter brother of Mufasa, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who speaks to the mouse he is about to take and eat. "Life is not fair," he says, emphasizing the theme of rivalry, both in the animal kingdom and between brothers and sisters. This scar is still trying to kill Simba and inherit the throne, but he is the most radically different character from the original. Then, Jeremy Irons's Scar, emerald eyes and glorious black men, drew replicas in such a sneaky, sly tone that he remains one of Disney's most indelible villains. The new scar has lean flanks, a ravaged face and a mangy coat. Ejiofor speaks his lines with a sinister rumble almost too subtle and real for this disproportionate production.
James Earl Jones, the only actor who returns from the first film, was apparently irreplaceable in the role of Mufasa. Jones gives credible credibility to this larger-than-life character, as Mufasa teaches a young Simba (JD McCrary) the cycles of nature, the duties of a king and the way his ancestors will look at the stars and guide him .
Eichner, who runs almost with the film, has a witty cynicism that crosses his lines.
John Oliver tells deliberately hokey jokes like the Zazu hornbill, flying around Simba. Like Ejiofor, Oliver speaks his songs more than he sings them, which works perfectly well. The music usually enters the action so gracefully that it moves when it is not. When Simba sings I can not wait to be king, the movie seems too enamored of its National Geographic backdrop.
Even if the young Simba does not realize it, this song speaks of a boy who wishes the death of his father. As in the original, it does not have to wait a long time. But first, he goes through extremely frightening action scenes, including the one in which the vicious hyenas chase him and Nala, his friend and future love, in a tunnel. Throughout the film, Favreau and the great director of photography, Caleb Deschanel, mimic the camera movements of real action movies. This approach can be felt strongly when we see a terrified race of Simba in the tunnel or we are caught in a savage rush, while Mufasa rushes to save him. When Mufasa climbs a cliff and Scar pushes him away, Hans Zimmer's beautiful orchestral music reinforces the impact of this scene.
After all this tragedy, the film makes a turning point in comedy as Simba conquers his new friends. Incarnating Billy Eichner as Timon, the mocking meerkat, and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, the good-natured but also flatulent warthog, are some of the film's most successful choices. Eichner, who is almost gone with the film, has a cynical tone of wit. "Let me simplify that for you. Life does not make sense, "he told Simba, laughing at the very idea of" types of royal deaths in the sky "watching over us. Of course, he will come.
Beyoncé was obviously chosen for her music
Hakuna Matata's version of Eichner and Rogen takes us through the scene in which Simba crosses the screen, seen in silhouette as he passes from lion cub to lion, and emerges on the other side with his voice Donald Glover. Glover is a wonderfully real Simba, capturing the petulance of a teenager on the verge of manhood. Beyoncé plays the adult Nala and together they sing Can You Feel The Love Tonight. Beyoncé brings a convincing ferocity to the character, and new scenes with her and Simba's mother, Sarabi (Alfre Woodard), add a contemporary twist. The women of this pride are powerful and attack hyenas. It's just a nod, but it's worth it.
Beyoncé was obviously chosen for his music. Spirit, the anthem she co-wrote and sings, is doing fine, but feels forced to hear it, as Nala and Simba return to Pride Rock for a final confrontation with Scar. The new song by Elton John that appears in the final credits, Never Too Late, is dull compared to the originals.
Some of the film's early critics, who see it as soulless and treat it as if it was a crime against humanity, sparked angry grimaces. They need a dose of hakuna matata (no worries). This ridiculous outrage – the new version is not even a crime against the cinema – shows how precious the memory of the original is. You can go back to the original film for its breath, its beauty and Jeremy Irons. See the new version for pleasure and immersion in a fantasy world that feels real. The attractive new lion king proves that history and music are adaptable to the infinite and immune from stupidity.
★★★★ ☆
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