Disney movies have been an integral part of my childhood for as long as I can remember. I still have a collection of Disney VHS cassettes collecting dust in our storage unit. From Snow White to Tarzan, I can still hear their tunes in the back of my mind. And during those nights when it was especially hard to fall asleep, my grandma would put in the Lion King VHS.
All of those nights of watching the animalistic dramatization of family disputes layered with reverence to African culture, and unforgettable melodies have latched onto my soul. So when the first mention of the live action Lion King was announced, I knew that this would impose a huge reaction. This reimagination meant facing two possible obstacles: the cast and the storyline. As most of you remember, the voices of the animated film was monumental to the development of the film. We had icons like James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Guillaume, Jim Cummings, Jeremy Irons, Matthew Broderick, Jason Weaver, and more. And these voices transcended generations of all cultures. So I knew that the next generation of voices would have extremely big shoes to fill. And the new cast consisting of Donald Glover, Beyonce, Seth Rogan, Keegan-Michael Key, Alfre Woodard, John Kani, JD McCray, and my beloved James Earl Jones signaled the possibility of another generational treasure.
A few days ago, we decided to experience it for the first time at the Thunderbird Drive-In Theater. All of the well known scenes, music and drama were there. And I honestly have to give Jon Favreau his props for a job well done. While maintaining the authentic beauty of the original films depiction of the raw animalistic energy, he tied in small snapshots of a backstory many of us have always wondered about. Favreau gives us little snippets of Scars history that tugs a little more on the heartstrings. The characters are fully developed and the effects are seamless.
Watching the scenes that always affected me as child hit differently as an adult. Good and bad isn’t so easily defined in reality. Watching Simba evolve and grow into the character we love while facing his own personal demons and Scar’s vindictive and pain provoked behavior forced me to look deeper at the story.
With all of the good, I was a little surprised by how direct the storyline followed the 1994 animation. Given that Favreau likes to deviate somewhat, I expected more confounding moments such as a new perspective, a flashback or even more in-depth backstories. This doesn’t negate the beauty of the movie and I don’t want to sound opinionated or ungrateful. With so many people waiting anxiously for this release, I can understand how it would be best to play it safe and stick to what we all know and love. However, I can’t help wondering how much better this could have been if we could have been given a little more.
But who knows. The release of the DVD may introduce some versions of the film that we’d never considered. Similar to the latest Disney release, The Avengers: Endgame, they could explore a director’s cut or extended version that could open doors we never thought to explore.
What were your thoughts about the movie?
D'Miria Collins 