This is the first story in a five-part series.
Believe it or not, Disney movies are getting worse. Not just Disney movies themselves, also Marvel movies like “Thor: Love & Thunder.” Since around 2019, they have just been cash grabs with little effort to bring back real Disney magic. The live-action versions of “The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and so many other movies have lost their true stories to the hands of the money-munching ideology that Disney has adopted. The live-action “The Lion King,” was the beginning of the domino fall.
While a decent movie on its own, as a remake it just does not suffice. First, they made the movie with CGI. Of course, if someone is going to make a live-action remake of “The Lion King,” they do not really have any other choice; however, that means there are limitations with emotional expression. Actual lions cannot smile or cry, so while Disney’s attempt is as good as it can get, it still falls short.
Second, they added a new song just for Nala. Beyonce Knowles voices Nala and sings a song called “SPIRIT” to accompany her character. The song is beautiful and really captures the African culture embedded in the movie as it plays over a scene of Nala and Simba running back to Pride Rock through the Savannah plains. But this is not truly Nala’s song. Yes, it is featured over footage of Nala. Yes, Beyonce voices both the character and the song. Yes, the song implies it is about Simba and it assures him that everything is alright and that he needs to stand up against what he has been running from. But the song is not specifically about Nala and it is sung from more of a narrator’s perspective, rather than an endearing, girlfriend-like character. It is a great song, but it is just a filler and an attempt to get a music award for an old movie.
Third, they got rid of the only villain song–and arguably the best song–in the whole movie. “Be Prepared” is only slightly referenced in Scar’s monologue to the hyenas when he says “Be prepared,” among other hinted lines. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who voices Scar, does not sing, which is fine. Even so, why would someone cast an actor who does not sing to play such a significant part in a movie musical? For instance, another outstanding black actor who actually sings is Okieriete Onaodowan, who played Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the original cast of Hamilton. His rumbly vocals would have been perfect for a renewed edition of “Be Prepared.”
While the movie does have stunning graphics, it lacks what is needed to be a truly magical Disney film. They cut vital songs and added pointless ones, and the lions they made lack the engaging expression that would’ve made the movie perfect. While this movie may be the start of the domino effect, it definitely isn’t the end.
