Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King looks real but feels fake

There can be no doubting the new Lion King live-action movie will be a massive hit, but the storytelling is depressingly lifeless, the songs stripped of all impact and the voice work ranges from passable to pedestrian (hello, Beyoncé!).

Everything looks so real. Everything feels so fake.

That’s how the jungle drums are beating on The Lion King, the first of Disney’s recent rash of remakes of classic cartoons to come in south of all expectations.

There can be no doubting the movie will be a massive hit, as all things The Lion King invariably are.

(You thought the original 1994 animated feature hit big? The 1997 stage musical is a monster by comparison, having grossed over $10 billion worldwide in various production configurations over the years).

Disney has slapped a new coat of technological paint on the same vehicle so many have already travelled in before.

However, aside from its sure-fire ability to pull a crowd, this new version of The Lion King never once coughs up a reason why it should exist in its own right.

As you may have already heard, the visuals here are disarmingly lifelike, to such a photorealistic extent that it seems as if the computer-generated cast of animals have wandered into frame from a nearby wildlife documentary shoot.

However, the storytelling of the new movie is depressingly lifeless, hitting all the right beats in the epic saga of Simba’s tragic exile and triumphant return, but never with any vital rhythm.

In fact, if you grew up with the original Lion King and watched it more than twice, you will quickly realise that this ‘new’ version is sometimes a straight copy, right down to the same shot composition and edit choices.

Picture: Disney

Therefore it should come as no real surprise this turns out to be such a dull slog: Disney are just slapping a new coat of technological paint on the same vehicle so many have already travelled in before.

For those who may have forgotten the basics of the plot, a quick refresher of the essentials.

The glorious setting is a remote part of the African savannah that has long been ruled by the majestic lion Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones).

Every beast loves and respects the wise and charismatic king, none more so than his son who will one day inherit the throne, Simba (J.D. McCrary).

However, when Mufasa’s doublecrossing brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) secretly murders the king and fools Simba into thinking it was his fault, the cub is cast out into the wilderness to fend for himself.

The voicework ranges from passable to pedestrian. Picture: Disney

It is here Simba befriends the chatty meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner) and the hyper-flatulent warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), two unlikely mentors who will eventually put him back on track to reclaiming his rightful place as leader of the savannah (where he will be voiced as an adult by Donald Glover).

In general, the voice work heard here ranges only from passable to pedestrian (hello, Beyoncé!), and the same goes for the music (hello again, Beyoncé!).

While none of the famous Lion King songs are slaughtered by their new renditions, they have been stripped of all impact by either slick recording work (iconic opener Circle of Life sounds curiously flat) or poor placement (why, oh why, is the timeless Can You Feel the Love Tonight staged in broad daylight?).

THE LION KING (PG)

Rating: Two stars (2 out of 5)

Director: Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book)

Starring: the voices of Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, JD McCrary, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

Looks aren’t everything when lacking roar power

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The new version is almost a straight copy of the original, down to the scene composition. Picture: Disney