Disney's 'The Lion King': A Celebration of Technology

I'm a lover and huge advocate for all things Disney and movie musicals. Needless to say, I was excited for this new chapter of live action classics that Disney has gotten into. I adored Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson, but I was skeptical about 'The Lion King'. I couldn't wrap my brain around the idea of CGI lions, I felt that it would almost feel too real. Maybe I'm biased because---don't shoot, everyone---I think Beyonce is overrated. However, I tried desperately to go into the film with an open mind. I continuously rambled on and on about how I felt that it would be a terrible remake of the 1994 classic (seriously, ask any of my friends). However, deep down in my heart, I wanted the film to be stellar.

JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph nailed Young Simba and Nala. They brought the energy that CGI lion cubs needed. I expected an amazing performance from Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan---which is exactly what I got. Glover created an out of this world Simba unlike one we've seen. He was suave, goofy, down to Earth and powerful, all while doing all that he could to make the character his own without drifting too far from the original character we know and love. As far as Beyonce goes, she was better than I expected. I had complete faith that her vocal ability was there, and her acting was up to par. My one critique was that I thought that her version of Nala was made to look more powerful than Simba at times. While there isn't anything wrong with Nala being just as strong, if not stronger than Simba at times, I felt that it took away the fact that the plot of the film centers around Simba--not Nala.

I enjoyed the film, in fact, I've seen it twice already. However, one could argue that it's not meant for children. Due to the incredibly realistic CGI creatures (which was amazing, might I add), it made the darker, creepier and already violent scenes more graphic. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivered an intense, eerie performance of Scar, which I thoroughly enjoyed. That being said, Disney made the scenes so brutal and creepy that I can't help but feel like kids shouldn't watch it. The stampede scene (yes--that scene #rip) is so violent and graphic that it feels as if it is actually happening.

Overall, I enjoyed 'The Lion King'. By no means does it compare to the original though. I think that there will always be a special place in our hearts for these original Disney films because they remind us of a simpler time. It was great to step out of that simple era and see this technological masterpiece. If the film were to be judged from a technical standpoint, Disney knocked it out of the park. As far as the depth and raw emotion that stems from the original, it could have been much better. Personally, I cannot wait to see what Disney does next with this live action era, it's time to celebrate how far we've come in the film industry.