The Lion King (2019)

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by ITDUDE, Jul 12, 2019.

  1. ITDUDE

    ITDUDE Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Didn't see any threads on this movie, if one exists you may close this one:


    While it's something I was definitely planning to take my kids to, now I'm not so sure. Reviews are out and they are.... not great.
    https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/michaelblackmon/lion-king-reviews-bad-mixed
    https://www.indiewire.com/2019/07/the-lion-king-review-2019-1202157153/
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lion_king_2019

    The consensus is Disney has made a mistake and Uncanny Valley has definitely not been crossed. While I'll reserve my own judgement until I do see it myself, it doesn't look like a great start for The Lion King that opens wide by next weekend.
     
  2. yeah i've seen some spots on the telly.. my first(and only) reaction was:
    "you just cant beat the 2d animation from the 1994 movie"

    I think some scenes in the original was a mixture of data animations and the handcrafted frame-by-frame drawings,
    but it was so subtle and glorious, really fantastic work.
    This new one seems lifeless and meh...
     
  3. StarMan

    StarMan Vice Admiral Admiral

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    At intermediate school, many a year ago, it's all we talked about when it first came out. The more times you'd seen it the cooler you were. I remember the second time I saw it with my mother - she was in tears by the end of the opening sequence. :lol:

    As a big fan of the original I felt somewhat dubious about remaking it in CGI splendor. From what I've read of the reviews so far (it's just dipped into rotten territory on RottenTomatoes), looks like all my concerns have been made true.

    And come on - you can't have Scar without the inimitable Jeremy Irons!

    I'll check it out when it's released on DVD/Blue Ray.
     
  4. Janeway’s Girl

    Janeway’s Girl Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I’ll see it at some point but it’s not of great importance.

    The Lion King was the first movie I saw in theatres. My dad took me and a friend, and for whatever reason we had the screen room to ourselves. I distinctly remember when Just Can’t Wait To Be King came on, my friend and I started dancing in the aisle. After it was released on VHS, it was the only movie she wanted to watch whenever we were at each other’s house.
     
  5. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It sounds like this is just to much of a shot for shot remake for me to bother seeing. At least the others made enough changes to make it worth going to see, but it sounds like there just wasn't enough here to warrant going to see it. It looks gorgeous, but that's just not enough for me.
     
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  6. BeatleJWOL

    BeatleJWOL Commodore Commodore

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    Remember to avoid spoilers in this thread please. :ouch:
     
  7. ITDUDE

    ITDUDE Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    :D Not sure if serious... :D
    In case actually serious, pretty sure this is one-to-one remake of the original.
    James Earl Jones is the Father!!
     
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  8. BeatleJWOL

    BeatleJWOL Commodore Commodore

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  9. StarMan

    StarMan Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Seen it.

    0/10

    Rake in the money, Disney.

    I normally rate out of 5 but this travesty requires a more precise ZERO.
     
  10. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I saw it yesterday and thinking about it more it actually pissed me off. What they did to Scar was almost criminal, not to mention they actually trimmed his biggest scene in the movie to about 2 minutes.
     
  11. Gaith

    Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I've heard that it's basically a shot-for-shot, line-for-line remake... which is nearly half an hour longer than the original. So, besides the Beyonce song, what in particular was added?
     
  12. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    There was a gag in the movie having to do with Timon and Beauty and the Beast. That was one of my favorite parts of the movie, actually.
     
  13. StarMan

    StarMan Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Argh - indeed. I like Chiwetel Ejiofor, but "Be Prepared" was awful (not sure if that's what you're referring to). Anyway, the real version:

     
  14. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I was referring to Scar as a character but main Be Prepared.
     
  15. StarMan

    StarMan Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Sorry, I went off on my own little tangent after quoting you. For me, Jeremy Irons as Scar was as iconic as James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Frankly, it's probably a good thing he didn't waste his talents on giving voice to this photo realistic version.
     
  16. USS Fardell

    USS Fardell Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    The Lion King (2019)
    The shot-for-shot remake of the 1994 The Lion King. The Circle of Life. (Will there be a version of The Lion King every 25 years? One for every generation going forward? 2044, 2069, 2094, etc) At least Zimmer's score is slightly improved. Pride Rock. The revelation of that rock is less dramatic. (But still quite dramatic.) The Lion King, Mufasa presents his new cub and heir, Simba to the herds surrounding the rock. This part is done quite well, for the photorealism. But the cell-animation showed the emotion in the scene a lot better.
    (See below, many times). However one individual is not present. Mufasa's brother, Scar. He's introduced telling his would be lunch (a mouse) that life isn't fair, referring to his circumstances as much as he is to the impending predation, which is interrupted by the arrival of Zazu, a hornbill who is one of Mufasa's advisors. This is delivered with less emotional expression in this film than in the 1994 film. The mouse is seen going about his activities for longer before Scar interferes, but this doesn't improve the enjoyment much.
    I can't wait to be King. Simba grows to be an overambitious cub. He can't wait to be King, but doesn't yet have the experience and wisdom to know what that means. As in the 1994 film, this sequence introduces Simba as a character. Not only Simba, but also Nala. He causes trouble, but is likeable (but not as much as in the original, given the lack of expression). He is also naïve enough to fall for Scar's manipulation. But then Scar is underestimated as a threat by everyone, even Mufasa.
    Hyenas! Not knowing he is falling for his uncle's trap, Simba goes to an elephant graveyard on the border of the Pride Lands with Nala. The encounter with the Hyenas was done well, but it was better done in the 1994 version. Truncating 'Be Prepared' wasn't a good idea. In any case, Scar wants to overthrow Mufasa. (Only slightly) better foreshadowed in this one, but still obvious from the outset. The stampede scene is moving, especially when Mufasa dies, but it was more emotionally moving in the 1994 version.
    Hakuna Matata. No Worries. Simba runs off in the wake of his father's death. He meets Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and warthog duo. They perceive that something is up with this lion cub, and so invite him to be their friend, and also to their insectivorous diet. (May not be what a lion usually eats, but it's obviously nutritious enough.) Thus time passes. (Of course, with 25 years having passed, and Disney being even more of an entertainment juggernaut, one would be concerned about why they would be making such an obvious cash-grab.)
    Time has passed, and Scar rules the Pride Lands with an iron paw, and is on his way to wrecking the ecosystem, as the hyenas have driven all the herds away. Nala sneaking away from Pride Rock is expanded upon but doesn't really add anything to the storyline. ('Can You Feel The Love Tonight' doesn't work as well in broad daylight, either.) Losing the moment where Rafiki knocks Simba on the head looses an important step in Simba's character growth. It's like there is a hole in the plot, Simba sees a vision of Mufasa, and then decides to challenge Scar.
    Challenge. Simba arrives at the Pride Lands, and sees how degraded the environment there has become. Challenging Scar is similar (nearly identical) to the 1994 film. Some minor changes, such as Serabi calling out Scar on his lie about not being at the gorge when the stampede happened, are there, but don't add much. Overall, if you have seen the 1994 film, then you'll know how this one will go. 7.0/10. (Lack of originality.)