"IT IS TIME."

Thursday, July 18th 2019, a little before 9:00PM.

Premiere night. Row G. Seats 19, 20, 21.

I sat between my mom and dad. She munched on Maltesers, he on the large popcorn in the limited edition promotional tin bucket that I insisted was necessary. While normally my snacks are gone before a film's first act is over, my chocolates and sugar-coated sour gummies sat on my lap unopened.

"Are you nervous?", my mom asked as the trailers finished. She really had been listening all those times when I expressed to her that this one was going to be special. "Surprisingly no... I think I'm just excited now."

Writing my thoughts down on the 1994 version definitely helped get me there.

But it was time.

It was time to welcome Jon Favreau's

THE LION KING to the big screen.

A father's lessons. Mufasa and Simba in 1994 and 2019.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW? MORE LIKE ONE WITH THE OLD, BUT STILL WONDERFULLY NEW.

The warm golden glow of Africa's rising sun. The open plains of the savanna. The acacia trees. The abundance of fauna.

Is this starting to sound like a narration from BBC's Planet Earth?

Maybe.

'Cause that's what it looks like.

But then, what's that? Not a British narrator, but... A singing voice.

"nants ingonyama bagithi Baba!"

An opening chant, the opening chant, sang in the Zulu language, reminds you why you are here. And it's not to watch the latest Planet Earth episode. It's not to see just any lion, meerkat, wild boar, red-billed hornbill, or mandril. The opening notes of the Circle of Life can only mean you're here for Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Sarabi, Scar, Timon, Pumba, Zazu, and Rafiki.

The iconic Pride Rock is revealed, and it basically looks like... well, Pride Rock, resembling exactly as what you'd expect it would in the African bush. Simba is raised to the sky with parting clouds revealing rays of sunshine. Behold, one of the most exquisite views... I mean, frames, you've ever seen.

EFFECTS, EFFECTS, EFFECTS

Even though it was understood that I wasn't there to relive my first safari, in a lot of ways I may as well have been. Based on stunning Kenya, The Lion King's photorealistic techniques render a state-of-the-art masterpiece. Favreau's VFX team certainly did their research to construct a digital environment that did not appear digital at all. Every blade of grass, fur follicle, grain of sand, and consistency of dung was taken into consideration. A viewer can easily overlook this because they may forget altogether that they are watching effects. The lions don't look like lions. They look exactly like them, or strikingly close. When Simba and Nala frolic in their 'meet again' moment, the viewer can truly grasp the weight of the characters movements just by watching a screen. (i.e., My mom describing Simba post-pouncing: "I could feel that he was 500 lb".)

Simply, the film visually stuns and is a marvel in it's milieu. You know when you get impressed that your artistic friend can draw a very realistic portrait of you? Well, this was that on steroids.

Love it or hate it, impressed or bored by it, The Lion King (2019) is undoubtedly one of the greatest visual effects achievements that the film industry has ever produced. However, not everyone is so embracing of the realistic approach. Upon first teaser releases, some initial comments alluded to the characters feeling 'creepy', 'not cute', and 'too realistic' without-the-ability-to-move-their-jaws-in-the-way-an-animal-would-if-it-could-talk... Well...

From an animal behaviourist slant, a creature's body language is very telling. A flickering ear, a contracting muscle, a subtle bow in posture, a stomping hoof... But I get it. This shouldn't be from a behaviourist point of view. It's about the viewer and what emotion the characters elicit from the audience. And if a character's facial expressions are very important to you, the realism in this film just might not do it for you... and to each their own.

Regardless, I've always felt that no matter how good a film's VFX are, that cannot be the sole factor of what carries it to earning the title of a caliber work.

So how did Favreau's version fare in the way of aspects outside of impressive visuals?

Pretty well!

CASTING: 4/5 Charming and likeable. Donald Glover and Beyonce's voices are like butter. Seth Rogan and Billy Eichner's banter is wonderfully fun. Scar's frustration was conveyed loud and clear with Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance.

SCRIPT: 5/5 Definitely did not venture far from that of 1994. However, I am giving this a high grade specifically for a noticeable deviation from the original script; it was in a monumental spot... and done very well at that.

MUSIC: 3/5 "King Of Pride Rock" is probably my favourite compositions ever written, and Hanz Zimmer ranks number one to me. However, this is just a simple case of preferring the original versions to the newer ones. I enjoyed young Simba and Nala's performances, but "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" fell flat as a whole tune. While Scar's acapella of "Be Prepared" was not my favorite, it's still a move I enjoyed.

STORY: 5/5 Held up well over time and didn't feel dated. Was very pleased to see little change. Don't fix what ain't broke.

NOSTALGIA: 5/5 I got my fix. The room will be mostly divided between viewers expecting to see what they saw when they were younger, and those ready to embrace change, and even encourage it. I am often guilty of belonging to the first camp, but I welcomed Favreau's stylistic choices with open arms.

When I look back at a younger version of me, I see someone that couldn't get enough of The Lion King. The medium didn't matter. When my grandparents got us tickets to the Broadway show, I just remember being very excited. I didn't care that Simba walked on two legs and looked different. I just wanted more of my favorite movie again and again, in whatever form it was offered to me. Favreau's release falls under the same type of situation to me.

A DELICATE BALANCE

There will be viewers that find the film does not enter enough new territory, and in essence, is the same movie as the original. To that, my comment is slightly boring; I am on the side that thinks The Lion King's story needs zero tweaking. And I enjoyed that much of today's adaptation remained loyal to it's predecessor.

Actually, if there's something Favreau's film does extremely well, its conducting a well-balanced act between new & old. Certain elements (plot, frames, personalities, script) were kept so similar to the previous version. An indication of laziness? No. This was unquestionably done with intent and heart.

What allowed 2019's team to get away with making an almost frame-for-frame replica of the original was changing the medium so dramatically. Visually, an extreme-enough 'newness' was given to the version by employing photorealism, a method very different from the lovable drawings of 1994. Subsequently, room was left for other aspects to remain largely unchanged. While the film pays homage to the past, the viewer is still watching something new. Navigating an old story in a new lens allows one to be comforted by familiarity, and experience it in a novel way.

The result is interesting; One's nostalgic beast is fed while enjoying something it has never eaten (seen) before. Simply, as the saying goes, have it's cake and eat it too (with a new frosting recipe). A delicate balance, indeed.

LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND?

2019 OR 1994?

When the sun sets at the end of the day, to many, Favreau's film will just be a remake. Great, mediocre, or a victim of the throwaway phrase, "the original is better". To me, The Lion King (2019) is more of a rendition of the original than a remake. And a compliment at that. Would you call an acoustic version of your favourite album from a band a 'remake'? Probably not. You'd call it an acoustic version of your favourite album. Granted, this conversation can get dicey if a different artist recorded that album, but I think you get the idea.

I state the obvious when I say that 1994's hand-drawn animation will always have a number 1 spot in my heart. After all, it's difficult for anything to compete with nostalgia and win.

However, in a lot of ways, 2019's King is the same product, but in a new packaging. It's up to you to decide if that packaging is pretty or not.

Ultimately, you may find appreciation in both, as I did.

Or not.

Not a new movie, but a new version.

Not a new idea, but a rendition.

Your favorite band's best album, but now acoustic.

Not necessarily better.

Just part of the artistic narrative.

. . .

By the third act, around when Simba decides it's time to leave lush green jungle to return to Pride Rock and take his place as King, those Maltesers and sour gummies were ready to be opened. It hit me that this film is exactly what I would have wanted growing up. I can just picture it. My mom asking young me the following: "Do you want to see another version of THE LION KING but where the lions are 'real' and they talk?" With zero critical thinking or analytical reasoning, young me would have given a resounding roar 'yes'.

25 years later, the answer remains the same.

T.

FURTHER READINGS

To learn more about the technical aspects of this film that were too detailed to cover here, but are nonetheless interesting, I recommend the following reads. Explore why this film is a VFX game-changer differing from both Avatar and The Jungle Book. ...And more.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, The Lion King: Is It Animated Or Live-Action? It's Complicated

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-07-19/the-lion-king-remake-animation-live-action-photo-real

ENGADGET, Inside The Virtual Production of 'The Lion King'

https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/29/lion-king-remake-vfx-mpc-interview/

VANITY FAIR, Is the New Lion King Animated or Live-Action? Even Jon Favreau Isn't Sure

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/05/lion-king-animated-or-live-action-jon-favreau