Should You See The Lion King?

The 90’s ruled the box office, with the king taking his rightful place. Disney’s live-action The Lion King roared into theaters. But should you see The Lion King?

I received complimentary admission to be able to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For those living under Pride Rock, an all-new live-action version of Disney’s The Lion King brings us back to the Pride Lands in a beautiful retelling of the classic tale.

Disney’s “The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, journeys to the African savanna where a future king must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place on Pride Rock.

As huge Disney movie fans, we jumped at the chance to see The Lion King in RealD 3D. Listen to director Jon Favreau share why 3D is the best way to screen the film:

With all the excitement of my childhood coming back to the big screen, I was definitely pumped. I mean, the changes to Beauty & the Beast in the reimagining of the tale for the live-action were phenomenal.

Should you see The Lion King?

Yes! Is it perfect? No.  Read on to find out why you definitely need to see Simba regain his place as ruler.

The Lion King is visually stunning.

As part of our neighborhood bucket list, we spend summer evenings in caravan headed to our “local” drive-in. It’s so much fun for kids and adults alike to pile in cars, share candy, and make memories.

I can’t wait to sing along to “Circle of Life” from the back of my van. But for my first screening of The Lion King, I’m glad I was able to get the full experience in RealD 3D.

The film is visually stunning.

It looks like you are watching a Disney Nature documentary with lions, hyenas, and wart hogs on the savanna. The reflections on the water are amplified by the filaments of debris in the water. The strands of lion fur rustling in the wind are gorgeous. The CGI was some of the best I’ve ever seen!

Seeing it in 3D means you’re getting the full experience, and it’s so worth it. There are a few 3D gags like when Pumbaa seems to swallow the camera. But you’ll get the mastery of the cinematography with the sweeping landscapes and the close-up shots of the animals.

Timon & Pumbaa are hilarious.

The Lion King has a seriously impressive cast list. Beyonce as Nala was fantastic casting. Because really, could Beyonce do anything short of amazing? James Earl Jones as Mufasa brings waves of sentiment to the film for this Disney superfan.

Donald Glover as Simba was fine, but he was upstaged by the comic relief.

Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogan) stole the show for me. In a film that stays closely aligned to the original, the laid-back duo add in extra zingers and one-liners that were gold.

Is The Lion King O.K. for Kids?

Is The Lion King scary? With a PG rating and an almost kindergartener in the house, I had concerns that the live-action might be a little on the scary side. For my kid, it was totally fine.

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If your little one is sensitive to simulated violence, you may want to discuss the hyenas in advance.

TIP: Show your child the animated film first. Then share pics of the hyneas. Being able to recount the plot and know how things will work out may help to calm any fear.

I appreciate that, true to the original, scenes like Mufasa falling into the gorge were not elaborated.

While it is a little scarier, it also is a little less sentimental. All of the moments are there, but my heart didn’t swell as it does when watching the animated film.

The Lion King Stays True

Remember back in the day when Disney characters were added to it’s a small world? People freaked.

Remember how The Hollywood Tower of Terror was rethemed and became Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! People freaked.

How about when The Little Mermaid live action casting announced Halle Bailey would be Ariel? I heard people freaked, but I have them all blocked on social media so I have no clue.

The truth is that we hold Disney characters dear. Their stories are OUR stories. So there’s a delicate balance of preserving our Disney history and adding meaningful new elements to the films we cherish.

The Lion King (2019) upheld the majesty of the story while adding stunning imagery and a few more laughs. It’s a little scarier, a little less sentimental, but all the way fun.

Follow along with The Lion King on their website and on your favorite social media channels (Facebook // Twitter // Instagram).

Have you seen The Lion King? I’d love to hear your thoughts!