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Lion
2019 7 min France 6+
★7.1
Adventure, Animation
Director: Mélissa Fournier, Amélie Goursat, Thierry Hav
Trailers
Description
A young lonely lion crosses an arid and desert Savannah. He discovers that the only source of water is kept by a tyrannical buffalo.
Awards
Golden Eagle 2020
— Best International Feature Film
Saturn Awards 2021
— Best Young Performer
Saturn Awards 2021
— Best Visual Effects
Saturn Awards 2021
— Best Fantasy Film
Golden Globe 2020
— Best Original Song
Academy Awards 2020
— Best Visual Effects
Golden Globe 2020
— Best Animated Feature
BAFTA 2020
— Best Visual Effects
Key opinion
Disney's 2019 reimagining of The Lion King is a technically groundbreaking technical achievement that offers a hyper-realistic take on the classic story. Opinion is sharply divided, however, between those who appreciate the immersive, updated visual spectacle and those who feel the photorealistic animation strips the characters of their essential charm and emotional range.
| Production | The film sets a new standard for CGI, with photorealistic animal designs and breathtaking African scenery that demand to be seen on the biggest screen possible. | |
| Score | The musical score and soundtrack effectively honor the original 1994 themes, with Hans Zimmer's updated compositions successfully retaining their power to evoke strong nostalgia. | |
| Adaptation | The film functions as a near shot-for-shot recreation of the original narrative, which satisfies fans seeking a faithful adaptation but alienates those looking for significant new creative meaning. | |
| Acting | The shift to hyper-realistic character models is polarizing; some viewers find the 'stone-faced' animals immersive, while others argue that the lack of expressive, cartoonish features makes the characters feel hollow and robotic. | |
| Emotion | While many find the emotional journey remains intact, a significant portion of the audience feels that the technical realism creates a barrier, resulting in a less emotionally resonant experience than the original animation. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is viewed by some as an engaging, well-structured expansion of the original, while others perceive it as a bloated and unnecessary extension that struggles to justify its runtime. |