Where do I even begin...
First let me just say that Lion King is and has always been my favorite of all Disney movies. I have watched it at least 200 times in my lifetime, cried every time, laughed every time, and sang the songs for days after...every time.
So when I heard there was going to be a remake of the movie I was VERY hesitant. I mean, why fix what's not broken?
Hesitation aside, I couldn't help myself when I got the invite to the private screening at Silverspot Theaters in Downtown Miami. I went by myself (yes, I go to the movies alone and I love it.) I sat quietly in the middle of the theater, halfway up the rows and waited.
Within the first minute I already had tears in my eyes. The visuals for this movie are.... out of this world.
Just before the Hollywood premier last Tuesday, director Jon Favreau said only ONE shot in the whole movie was filmed live. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel confirmed that it was the first thing they filmed on location in Africa. The rest of the film however is photo-real gorgeous, and made within a digital world. But there are times when you wouldn't even know it.
The body movements of the characters, the smallest details from the twitch of an ear to the weight of the hind legs when walking... This movie is magic.
Something else I absolutely loved was the perfect balance they maintained between keeping iconic moments of the film and knowing exactly when and how to recreate other moments to make the dialog, humor and overall context more current and relatable.
Disney fan or not.... this is most definitely a MUST WATCH.
When you check it out let me know in the comments what you loved most!