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REVIEW: How the new 'Lion King' stacks up to the original

The live-action version has finally arrived. - by Shahbaz M
  • 17 Jul 2019

The king has arrived.

After months of anticipation, Disney's new live-action version of The Lion King is now finally in cinemas.

WATCH a sneak peek clip from the movie below.

We got a sneak look at the film before its official arrival and answer some of your biggest questions.

How does it stack up to the original?

Unfortunately, the iconic animated flick remains superior.

It can be quite difficult to garner the same emotions as the original due to the limitations of real-life animal features. While the voice movements and believability is there the lack of facial reactions or expressions can be quite jarring when trying to keep it as authentic as possible.

That being said you will still be a blubbering mess during one particular scene.

*SPOILER ALERT: When Mufasa dies*

The Lion King original animated flick
Disney

How's the music?

AMAZING! You can't fault it as some tracks have been reused from the original.

"The Circle of Life" song and sequence will give you goosebumps like never before as it feels so beautifully nostalgic.

Beyoncé's new song for the movie titled "Spirit" also makes an appearance within the 118-minute film and it is just divine. We couldn't help but sing along even if we don't know the lyrics back-to-back just yet.

lionking View Profile
110.4k likes - View Post on Instagram
Just Announced: "The Lion King: The Gift," a new album of songs featuring global recording artists and steeped in the sounds of Africa, produced and curated by @Beyonce Knowles-Carter, will be released July 19. "Spirit," the single from the album and from the soundtrack for The Lion King, will be available later tonight. https://smarturl.it/beyoncespirit

How's the cast? Does Queen Beyonce live up her royal status?

All we can say is Timone and Pumbaa steal the show. Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner bring so much humour, joy and light to this new take - something this retelling can sometimes lack.

Donald Glover is perfect as Simba, his vocals on the reworked versions of the classic songs prove a treat!

As for Nala, it can be quite difficult to disassociate the character from Beyoncé's gentle voice. You can just hear the multi-Grammy award-winning voice, not Nala's own unique persona.

Either way, it's Queen Bey so who cares tbh... 

Nala and Simba in 2019's The Lion King
Disney

In a nutshell: While it doesn't have anything on the original, superb visual technology give this iconic story a fresh new dimension.

It offers as the perfect companion to its classic original 90's source.  7/10

'The Lion King' is now playing in cinemas everywhere.

WATCH the iconic trailer below and get all the feels:

Shahbaz M
Shahbaz M
Shahbaz is the Digital Content Editor for Entertainment. He is shamelessly addicted to pop music (most notably Ariana Grande), teen dramas and a lover of all things pop culture.

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