Can you feel the love tonight? Yes I can. So I was a bit skeptical when they first announced this project back then but kinda excited as well because I was eager to see how this will turn out like. In my mind, I feel like this is going to be like another Discovery/Animal Planet documentaries with a celebrity voice over and I'm almost right.
We all know how the story is unless you haven't watched the animation version which is odd. So I will not talk about the story line and the plot. The execution however is where I have some problems with. I mean if we were to make a live action movie, it is usually because we want to see how it will look like in the real world right? So we will try to make it as realistic as possible. That is where the problem is, you can't really show any emotion on animals. Animals in animation is able to cry, frown, look scared but it the real world, it is almost impossible to see what the animal actually feels. It would be so weird if the make the live action Simba smile right? And because of this, it really did made you feel like you're watching an Animal Planet special.
I was sobbing when I watched Mufasa died in the animation version but in this live-action remake, I feel like I was forcing myself to cry because for me it would be very wrong not to cry during that scene. I mean I need to respect that scene a my tears but I wasn't crying because Simba didn't show any emotion. But I feel it would be sadder if Simba didn't talk like human during that scene and instead he just growl or meowing? trying to wake Mufasa up and that would be even more effective.
Unlike The Jungle Book which have Mowgli in it and he is the one who set the mood and emotion for other animal in the movie. So it is kinda working for me because there's an actual emotion for us to connect to. I don't know maybe it is just me. However I still enjoy the movie because of the humor and how close it is to the original that when you watched it, all you can think about is how you really enjoyed the movie when you were just a kid.
Personally I think this project didn't really work compared to the other Disney's classic live action remake. So far I think Beauty & The Beast did it right and I love Aladdin too. I'll give this movie 3/5 for the execution but 5/5 for the story that we all know and love.
P/S: Maleficent 2 is coming and Mulan! Next please have Pocahontas in the work okay!