The Lion King remake is uncanny valley: the movie

Yes, that is one of the major issues with trying to make animated animals look photorealistic. 

The same is the case with Flounder and Sabastian in The Little Mermaid remake. 

That is a similar problem. No lions look like animated Scar, so with the movie trying to be realistic in what the animals look like they can't make Scar look like animated Scar. 

A few come close. Do people remember Frozen II?

I keep forgetting Frozen II even exists, whereas The Lion King remake has stayed in my memory from how big of a deal it was at the time it was released.

My rating - 5/10

Here are some of my thoughts. 

The iconic opening does not work here. It doesn't have the flow of the original and the song isn't sung anywhere near as powerful as when sang in the original. It can't capture the beauty of the animation in the 1994 movie and I think the expressions of the animals are very important in this scene.

None of the song scenes in this version are effective because they don't fit with the more realistic lions. It especially doesn't work when Scar is singing because it doesn't fit with how the character of portrayed. His evil is more subtle in this version.

There is a lack of heart throughout much of the movie. 

The voicework by Donald Glover is bland and he has no chemistry with anyone.

The hyenas are just a big nothing in this version. They have almost no personality. The actors who voice the hyenas are given almost nothing to work with, which makes it especially strange that they cast Keegan-Michael Key to do one of their voices.


Here is what does work.

Seth Rogan is naturally good as Pumba and the realistic look of Pumba is quite amusing. Timone is just okay, but still one of the better voices in the movie. 

Everything about Zazu works here. John Oliver is perfection and cleverly cast. He really has the only truly funny moments in the movie.

I do like the look of Scar here and think the movie was smart to not go with the theatrical way Scar is portrayed in the original. Chiwetel Ejiofor is menacing in the movie and while not as memorable as Jeremy Irons he makes the part sinister in his own way. By not doing exactly what the original does it gives the movie the feeling of at least something new.

The visual effects are mostly very impressive.

The final 20 minutes are by far the most effective parts of the movie and this is where the more majestic look or realistic lions works very well. It is in this last 20 minutes that almost captures the soul of the 1994 movie. Almost.

Hans Zimmer's score is still very good, though he changes it in subtle ways here and there that make it slightly less powerful.