Critics have released their reviews for Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King and it’s looking really dim. One could even say, my childhood nostalgia has been tinged and burned by these critics’ brutal bashings of what really is, a symbol of my innocence. This is huge. This could be the end.
via GIPHY
For those who think this is a rather dramatic response I will not bow down to such carelessness. This 2019 Disney remake of The Lion King is likened to art forms of legendary proportions…think Van Gogh’s The Starry Night? Think da Vinci’s Last Supper?
My knowledge of art isn’t all that crash hot so forgive me but all I want to say is The Lion King remake was supposed to be legendary art form. It was supposed to flawless…
But much to my disappointment, John Favreau’s remake of the 1994 classic has been described by critics as a ‘disaster’. It’s also been rated a 58% on Rotten Tomatoes which for some context/perspective, The Disaster Artist copped a 91% critics’ score.
Now that’s a gross injustice I just cannot accept.
AV Film Club • “Joyless, Artless & Maybe Soulless”
A.A Down from AV Film Club has slammed Favreau’s remake for lacking in cinematography and emotion…
“Joyless, artless, and maybe soulless, it transforms one of the most striking titles from the Mouse House vault into a very expensive, star-studded Disney Nature film.”
“It’s as if every creative decision were subordinate to the film’s misguided insistence on realism, on keeping the mannerisms and movements of these magically intelligent creatures ‘believable'”
Indie Wire • “Realistic But Dull”
Indie Wire’s David Ehrlich reckons the new Lion King “fatally misunderstands what once made Disney special.”
“Watching them come to blows against a realistic-but-dull background suggests that Favreau was so busy trying to figure out if he could, that he never stopped to consider if he should.”
“Favreau’s movie fails to grapple with how the unreality of the studio’s lush 2D artwork unlocked kids’ imagination and made it so much fun to suspend disbelief; the digital wizardry denies our minds the permission they need to dream.”
Vulture • “A Weird Disconnect”
Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri has described the remake as an ‘unusually good nature documentary’ which I mean, could mean good and bad things. He then begs the question, is this really what we wanted? I’ll leave these unusually good nature documentaries to Sir David, thank you.
“It doesn’t help that the characters in some cases have been rendered with such realism that they have lost all human expression on their faces. Maybe that’s the idea — to not anthropomorphize them too much and to stay grounded in zoological authenticity.
“But they’re still talking, and singing, only now their faces are inexpressive; it’s a weird disconnect.”
Alas, I Remain Hopeful
I mean, after all, my entire childhood rests on this Lion King remake. I will not succumb to the words of critics. I will enter that cinema theatre with all the hope and glee of an excitable snotty-nosed child because otherwise, who’s life am I really living through? Some overly critical critics who think they can just go about being so critical? I absolutely think not.
Sources: IMDb, Vulture, Indie Wire, AV Film Club, Disney Youtube.
