The Lion King is back with Photorealistic Effects

Kaleidoscope returns with Walt Disney Pictures & Fair View Entertainment's production of "The Lion King"  Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie stars Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Alfre Woodard, & John Oliver.  Rated 'PG', it has a running time of 1 hr., 58 min.

By now everyone knows the plot of "The Lion King".  This is especially true since Jeff Nathanson's screenplay--loosely based on Shakespeare's "Hamlet"--follows the 1994 script almost word for word.  This is not a bad thing; the original animated film is a near perfect work of art.  Has Favreau improved on this?  Except for the photorealistic look, this reviewer's opinion is, 'No'.  What makes this viewing worthwhile is that the story is now available on the wide screen for a new generation of young people.  Based on the movie's 2 weeks of record box office, this has been a success.  Glover makes a very good Simba, but he is no better than 94's Matthew Broderick.  Beyonce's Nala is fine in this limited role but, again, there is nothing distinguishable between her interpretation & Moira Kelly's 94 version.  Eichner voices a suitable Timon, but this reviewer will take 94's Nathan Lane as the better vocalist.  Rogen shines as Puumbaa; his inflections & persona are much better than 94's Ernie Sabella.  One marvels at Jones's reprise of Mufasa.  At age 88, his voice is as resonant & enthralling as ever!  The film's biggest vocal disappointment is with Ejiofer's vocalization of Scar.  His interpretation pales in comparison to Jeremy Irons's in 94.  Irons's voice drips with evil, malevolence, bitterness, vindictiveness, & venom.  Chiwetel's performance contains almost none of these verbal inflections.  Caleb Deschanel's cinematography is sweeping & majestic; there is no way that 94's animated filming can compare.  Hans Zimmer basically recreates his elevated & sublime music from 94.  Thankfully, Favreau kept Elton John's & Tim Rice's songs in the film as written.  They are perfectly mated & matched to the emotions & action that they represent & constitute.

I give the new "The Lion King" 8 out of 10 nuggets.  With the exception of 1 major vocal misstep, it is a good, if, ultimately, a needless redo of the 94 version.  But, as long as it is here, take the family to see this beloved story either for the first time or as a welcome revisit if seen before.