Thanks: 
I saw it last Friday
Overall I found it quite enjoyable, which is what I at least wanted from it, so I'm relieved in that.
I'll first say that I can see what the filmmakers tried to do, and in some ways they succeed. The photorealism is just incredible, that first scene with the mouse did well in convincing my brain that I wasn't looking at animation (that along with the VR tech they used to film like they do in a live action movie). So yeah, I know it bugs that media calls it "live action", but whether we like it or not, that just means they succeeded, and that's amazing.
I would have forgiven the movie's existence for that, had it not been because of the serious lack of expressions in characters, which only made some scenes feel very awkward and the characters boring. There was no connection between voice actors and animations, and thus I didn't connect with them. Jon Favreau said that they wanted to express emotion through body language instead of face expressions, but I don't think they did that right either. Characters feel stiff at times, just look at Scar and Simbas' interaction after Mufasa's death, or Simba and Nala's argument, or when Mufasa is talking to Simba after saving him from the hyenas (you're giving your son a heart-to-heart talk, look at him in the eyes!)
I liked the change with the hyenas, especially Shenzi's leadership role. They're less stupid and more threatening, but they're still funny (Azizi and Kamari were great xD). I missed the silliness, but I think the change works much better in this style. Timon and Pumbaa were pretty funny too, and the whole talk about them not seeing life as a circle but as a line was an interesting addition. But I still prefer the original voices, of course. In the case of Zazu it's the other way around, John Oliver was perfect for the role, and I really liked him x)
It was implied in Scar's introduction that he and Mufasa had fought before ("I wouldn't dream of challenging you... again"), which in turn kiiind of implied that it was Mufasa the one who gave Scar his scar, at least that's the vibe I got. Might be wrong, but it's open to that interpretation, I liked that.
Scar and Sarabi's relationship was also an interesting change, ditching the idea of wanting Nala as his queen, as in the musical. It bugs me as a purist, but I guess it works better with these new versions of the characters.
The final act was great, I really liked the whole scene almost as much as in the original. In fact I liked that they finally answered how Simba managed to leap up the edge of Pride Rock and pounce Scar when he had him in his grasp: He bit Scar's face, and Scar pulled him up trying to free himself from it! I know it's just a tiny detail, but that had bothered me for many years, I'm really glad they corrected that ^^
Ok now, for some heavy criticism...
I think the movie has a problem with handling subtext. Like before the stampede, when Scar and Simba are in the gorge. In the original, Scar plays with Simba's feelings telling him everybody knows about the mess he got in with the hyenas ("lucky daddy was there to save you, huh?") and suggests him to practice his "little roar". That pissed off Simba, which is why he practiced it right there and then, and loud. That was pure Scar-style manipulation, Simba really felt his dad's death was his fault. In the new movie, however, Scar literally tells him that the gorge is where lions practice their roaring, and that he should practice his roar right there to make his dad proud. If I was that version of Simba I'd tell Scar "But you TOLD me to roar here!"
Another example is when Nala reunites with Simba, which is the scene I have more problem with. In just over a minute, Simba and Nala recognize each other almost immediately, Timon and Pumbaa act like nothing happened, Nala tells Simba he should go back, that they miss each other, and we're supposed to believe they're suddenly in love. It not only feels rushed, it lacks expression, body language, and subtext. In the original, Nala doesn't recognize Simba at first, and she even doubts for a second it's him, and when she realizes it's him she jumps in joy. Her surprise there was much stronger, and consequently that reaction takes a downturn afterwards when she tells him "It's like you're back from the dead. You don't know how much this will mean to everyone... what it means to me", you can see a hint of sadness in her voice and in her expression, she really missed him, Simba comforts her and that's where they start falling in love. Also, when Simba tells Timon and Pumbaa to leave them alone, that gives them privacy and makes the scene feel more personal. The dialogues in the new one are pretty much the same, but without that quality acting from the first it just feels rushed and unconvincing. Not to mention of course how CYFTLT takes place during daytime, removing the romantic ambient the transition from twilight to night gives.
And Nala saying goodbye to Simba disappointed and leaving him back in the jungle just like that? I don't know what to make of that, it just didn't feel like her xP
Maybe I'm just nitpicking these things, I don't know if it would bother me less if there was no '94 original to compare it with, but there's certainly something off with these changes in pacing and acting.
Anyway, getting that out of my system, I still think it's a good movie. At least I liked it more than Beauty and the Beast, and it still gives us fans something interesting to talk about.
Besides, I'm very looking forward to see it in Spanish, since they brought both Carlos Rivera and Fela Dominguez, who played Simba and Nala in TLKoB!and interestingly they also brought in the original voice of Simba (Arturo Mercado), but he plays Rafiki this time around. I'm hoping I'll like the movie more on my second viewing, as it's sometimes the case.
Originally Posted by Leorgathar
