"The Lion King" is a movie considered to be untouched by time. The story, its characters, the music, and visuals have been a major part in shaping countless childhoods. Its ability to simultaneously entertain and inspire people through various stages of life has marked the film as one of the greats. At the very least, it is considered one of the greatest Disney films of all time: a cemented Disney classic. Due to its immense popularity, people were concerned when they heard that Disney was planning a "live action" remake of this animated classic. The question on whether Disney would screw up a beloved movie was brought to center-stage where everyone could see.
After all, Disney fans are pretty split down the middle when it comes to the Disney live-action remakes. Some praise the remakes for being visual wonders that bring classic animated films to life. Others claim that live-action films are useless in their existence. After all, when something isn't broken, why would someone remake it? Honestly, I can personally see both sides of the argument and both of them hold some solid weight when you consider all of the live action remakes that are going to hit the big screen. However, I think the biggest and most recent example for this argument divide exists in the form of the new "Lion King" trailer.
Personally, I see the "Lion King" as a perfect example of how both sides of the Disney remake argument can exist at the same time. On one hand, the animation and the visuals for the movie look really interesting. The animals onscreen feel, while not completely realistic, so close to real life. The movements, the animation, the textures all have worked to bring a type of realistic quality to a beloved Disney movie. The characters have a new life breathed into them which honestly gives the film a new type of life. It is marvelous to see how far animation has come with its new technology and knowledge.
However, alongside the praise comes the potential for backlash. I would be lying if I said I didn't already see a possible problem with the newest "Lion King" movie. For me, this movie already seems to have the problem that the "Beauty and the Beast" remake had. Both seem like they love to be shot for shot replicas of their original source material. I'm not saying scenes should never parallel each other. That is quite impossible to do when you are attempting to remake a movie. However, the scene in the newest "Lion King Trailer" where Simba walks across the log, where he steps into his father's footprint, and when Scar moves along the ravine's mountainside all are moments taken almost shot for shot from the original animation.
That is not the only instance where this is seen. The interaction animation/movements of Scar and Simba after the stampede, Nala and Simba's exploration of the Elephant Graveyard, and many more reflected a type of "Lion King" paint by numbers quality rather than its own source material. Now, I know that things have to be animated or told in a similar way given that it is a remake of a classic and to have it any other way would be considered blasphemous to Disney fans. However, I think that the film should still branch off to do its own thing. Create its own plot progression based on previous source material. If you are going to remake the movie, I would love to see more of what is different rather what is the same. After all, wouldn't you be peeved if you paid a lot of money for a dinner only to find out it was just lunch reheated in the microwave?
I love Disney and I love their movies. I also love to see content take its own path. I hope that "The Lion King" strikes out on its own to claim its own spot in Disney history.