The Lion King: First reactions to Disney’s live action remake are here

By Grace McGettigan
10th Jul 2019

The Lion King: First reactions to Disney’s live action remake are here

Without giving away spoilers, film industry experts and reviewers have shared their first thoughts on Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ live-action remake; and their opinions are fairly mixed

The world premiere of Disney’s The Lion King took place in Hollywood on Tuesday night, and the first reviews are in (don’t worry, there are no spoilers).

Attended by a star-studded audience of cast, filmmakers and industry leaders (including Beyoncé, Donald Glover and Seth Rogan), the live-action remake of the 1994 classic includes many of the original songs; as well as a new score and script.

Mixed reviews

Without giving anything away, those who attended the premiere (among whom were movie reviewers and entertainment writers) tweeted their first impressions. The reviews are… mixed, to say the least.

It seems the music is powerfully emotive; the animation spectacular and the casting spot-on. However, people are unsure as to whether or not the talking animals are ‘convincing’ enough.

“It’s a visual masterpiece that will leave you smiling and crying the whole time,” wrote Beatrice Verhoeven, senior film reporter at TheWrap. While editorial leader at AtomTickets Alisha Grauso said, The Lion King illustrates “the limitations of projecting human emotions onto photorealistic animals that can’t convey human expression”.

See more spoiler-free, first thoughts on The Lion King remake below:

Holy smokes, I really loved THE LION KING. I think (I think) it’s the most beautiful effects movie I’ve seen. Like next level, the game has changed kind of thing. (For the record I’m agnostic on the original movie and have zero nostalgia for it. Anyway, this movie hooked me.)
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) July 10, 2019

Just saw #TheLionKing and it was absolutely breathtaking! The music, the visuals, the voice acting…whatever your feelings on Disney remakes, this one will blow you away. pic.twitter.com/Dk9MdZnKBe
— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) July 10, 2019

The Lion King is a dazzler. Gorgeous score, spot-on voice acting, but mostly, yeah, those visuals. ? #TheLionKing
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) July 10, 2019

That being said, #TheLionKing does illustrate the limitations of projecting human emotions onto photorealistic animals that can’t convey human expression. More in my review when the embargo lifts!
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) July 10, 2019

#TheLionKing is visually immaculate & a game-changer for visual effects. It’s absolutely stunning in every way. The music shines (Glover & Beyoncé take it to another level), the performances are great (Timon, Pumbaa & Scar steal many scenes) & the emotions run HIGH. Truly great pic.twitter.com/lPH9Oo4ybb
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 10, 2019

#TheLionKing is a landmark *visual* experience. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I think it’s going to change how we look at movies forever.
As an *emotional* experience, though…I’ll put it this way: It turns out lions can’t really emote.
— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) July 10, 2019

I just got out of #TheLionKing and really dug it. My fear was realistic animals wouldn’t have the charisma of the cartoon, but they’re very good. Timon and Pumba steal the show. Some of the song/choreo arrangements don’t work as well as the original but still a really fun flick. pic.twitter.com/mOrODQ0vHI
— Chris E. Hayner (@ChrisHayner) July 10, 2019

Oh man #TheLionKing delivers. It’s a visual masterpiece that will leave you smiling and crying the whole time. It’s a true testament to the lasting effect Disney movies have on all generations. Timon and Pumbaa steal the show. And BEYONCE!!! #LionKing
— Beatrice Verhoeven (@bverhoev) July 10, 2019

There’s enough new content to make it feel fresh (plus some genuinely hilarious new jokes from Rogen/Eichner — no one made me laugh harder) and they really nailed recreating the most iconic sequences. I found myself walking out immediately wanting to watch the original.
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) July 10, 2019

Beyoncé and Donald Glover are fine if underused but honestly I thought the comedians and especially young Simba JD McCrary stole the goddamn show. He’s so charming and brings great energy to, again, the cutest goddamn baby Simba you can hope for.
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) July 10, 2019

Disney’s The Lion King hits Irish cinemas on Friday, July 19. Watch the trailer in full below: