As a nearly 20-year-old girl, I grew up in the early 2000s, when the Disney renaissance had just ended. This lead to the majority of my childhood being filled with, arguably, the best animated Disney films of all time. Aladdin, Hercules, Beauty and the Beast and Mulan were always my favorite films of this time, but nothing brings me a sense of nostalgia more than re-watching Lion King (or Lion King 1 ½ for the true fans).
When Disney began releasing live action remakes of their old classics, I was a little suspicious, but mostly excited. Kids in the 21st century grew up with different princesses and some of my favorite movies got lost in translation between generations, and these live action movies were a great way to continue the legacy. They started off with Cinderella, then a new take on Sleeping Beauty through Maleficent, and continued on with the Jungle Book and Aladdin; which I particularly loved because of Jasmine’s new song and role in the entire movie, but when they announced Lion King, I got a little more nervous. Lion King is arguably the best Disney animated movie to be released, of all time, and I was not sure if the live action movie could live up to its great heights.
Unfortunately, I was right to be nervous. While I did enjoy watching the live action Lion King, many of the big climactic moments ended up being subpar compared to the colorful, all-out style that the animated film was so loved for. One scene in particular that was specifically underwhelming was the new rendition of be prepared, sung by Scar to the hyena’s, about taking over the pride lands with their help. In the original animated movie, Scar is seen as a huge dominating figure with the hyena’s as his henchmen, and the color choice of bright lime green flames contrasted by the darkness of the cave background really made the entire performance memorable. In the live action version, the bright contrasting colors did not make an appearance, and Scar’s sarcasm and power was not relayed in the same way, and the overall presentation of this scene was quite bland.
However, the directors of the new Lion King did make a few good decisions in the making of the live action movie. They included an all-star cast of singers and voice actors, including Beyoncé, Donald Glover, and the original voice of Mufasa, James Earl Jones, which allowed for fans, both new and old, to really enjoy most songs and the majority of the characters in this new remake. Something else that the new Lion King did, that most people I have talked to didn’t notice, is it combined plot lines from both the original Lion King, and Lion King 1 ½, the sequel to the Lion King that followed Timon and Pumba’s perspectives of the events of the original Lion King.
These changes in the live action version were so subtle that many people were convinced that they had just occurred in the original movie. Some of the changes included the addition of Timon and Pumba singing Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and Timon and Pumba using a song to distract the hyena’s into chasing them instead of focusing on Simba and Nala sneaking in to attack Scar.
In general, while I’m not entirely sure if making live-action versions of classic Disney movies was totally necessary, aside from on a marketing standpoint, I do think that Disney should continue doing so. While the movies may not live up to the nostalgia that millennials want them to, they bring the stories that we loved so much as kids to life for a new generation of children, which might just be worth it.