Oh boy, where do I even start? xD I saw the live action movie this past Tuesday and took Mufasa with me to see it, while being dressed up in TLK clothes.
What did I think of the "remake"? Well, this is a rather unpopular opinion, especially since I am a huge animation nerd, but I honestly liked it better than the animated version. Part of that is due to the fact I found it more "realistic" and slightly darker than the 1994 film. I am not the best at writing reviews, but I''ll try to sum it up the best that I can, I'll break it up into sections and give my rating.
The music:
I actually enjoyed the songs in this movie. Circle Of Life was very similar to the Circle Of Life in the animated movie. I'd have to say I enjoyed both versions equally. I loved I Just Can't Wait To Be King better in this movie, I loved that they gave Nala more singing lines.
It was cute! Be prepared was uh... Different. I say that was the only song I really didn't care much for in this version. It was okay, but nothing beats Jermey Irons Singing in the animated movie. Can You Feel The Love Tonight I loved. I think I loved the animated version a bit more though, but I liked this version just as much. Spirit was by far my favorite song in the movie, and I was happy they put it in there. I actually was glad they used that song instead of "Busa."
I was thrilled that they still had Hans Zimmer composing the film score. It still felt like the original movie.
The Cast:
I was kinda meh on the casting for this movie... at first. Then when I watched it I changed my mind. I enjoyed Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, I felt that he fit the character well. I always loved that they cast Beyonce as Nala. I always felt she would fit perfectly as a live action Nala, mainly due to her sass. I felt Donald Glover was okay as Simba, though I did enjoy Matthew Broderick more. I liked cub Simba and Nala's voices, but my favorite would have to be John Oliver as Zazu. I loved this version of Zazu more, and he sounded a lot like the orginal Zazu to me. I was glad they casted James Earl Jones as Mufasa, though as others have explained he didn't sound as regal in this version which took some getting used to, personally. I loved watching all of the characters. I loved Whoppi Goldberg as Shenzi more, but the new Shenzi was pretty alright too.
The Storyline:
I loved that they tried to stick as much as possible to the orginal story. I did enjoy the extra bits though! Quite a lot! I was surprised they had a Scar and Sarabi love triangle, but while I was in the theaters I was like, "I knew it!" I also loved that they added other Cubs, and I loved the part where they actually showed Nala leaving the pride lands. Things that were not shown in the orginal version. I also loved the Nala and Shenzi fight scene. I found the rivalry fascinating. I cried when Mufasa died while in the theaters.
Imo I found his death sadder in this version as, well, it's kinda realistic so it's kinda like he is a real lion. I thought the ending of the movie was cute, when they showed baby Kiara. It was cute she was fierce, and did a little roar. :3 When the movie was over, I hoped honestly that maybe someday they will do a live action Simba's Pride. It would be nice to see how they would portray Kiara, Kovu, and Zira.
My rating: 8.5/10. No movie is perfect. This version had flaws. In my opinion they really should of have kept out the Dung beetle part. I felt it was awkward and unesscary. Also, I think Mufasa's Ghost scene looked better in the animated version, I was kinda disappointed.