Movie Review: Despite Talented Cast And Stunning Visuals, 'the Lion King' Remake Is Just A Flashy Copycat

By Brandy McDonnellAn abbreviated version of this review appears in Friday's Weekend Life section of The Oklahoman. 2 1/2 of 4 stars.Movie review: Despite talented cast and stunning visuals, 'The Lion King' remake is just a flashy copycatA shaman monkey ascends a towering rock formation and triumphantly holds aloft a newborn lion cub, prompting the herds of African wildlife below to leap for joy to a celebratory tune belted in Zulu.That’s the well-known opening sequence to the beloved 1994 Disney animated film “The Lion King,” but it’s also the exactingly duplicated opening sequence of the new Disney remake of “The Lion King.” Despite the stunningly photorealistic flora and fauna and the strong vocal performances, director Jon Favreau’s overly familiar remake not only tells the same story, but uses most of the same lines, the same framing, the same plot beats and even, in one notable case, the same casting.The Mouse House’s often-lucrative obsession with revisiting its classic animation canon works best when the reimagining updates or refines the storytelling, as with Favreau’s strikingly lifelike 2016 rendition of “The Jungle Book.” The problem with remaking “The Lion King” is that Disney already has addressed its biggest weakness – the dearth of authentic African cultural motifs – with one of the most critically and commercially celebrated musicals in entertainment history.While “The Lion King” musical is most renowned for giving the title a radical new look, its innovative mastermind, Julie Taymor, wasn’t afraid to put her distinctive stamp on the storytelling, turning Rafiki into a female character, giving Nala the evocative song “Shadowland” and showcasing the lionesses’ hunting prowess with a dance number.While Favreau gives his take on “The Lion King” a striking new look – although it has widely been referred to as a “live-action” remake, the naturalistic animals are actually all computer animated – the rest of his changes are largely insignificant and unfailingly safe.Read more on NewsOK.com