The Lion King

The highest grossing first month Disney "CGI" movie to date, as this true classic (it's in my top 3 of best animation Disney movies ever) has hit the movie theatres, but is it truly as good as the original.

Short answer: almost, but not quite.

Now, I take everyone knows the story, unless you are not a Disney fan and as such haven't seen the original (but if you don't like Disney, you probably won't go see this movie anyways) about the young lion Simba, destined to become king of the pride.  AND HE IS FRAKKIN ADORABLE!!!!

But his evil uncle Scar has other plans, and together with the Jackhals plans to get rid of Simba and his father, the ruling king Mufasa, by causing a stampede in the gorge near Pride Rock.  He convinces young Simba it is his fault, and the lion cub flees, to be picked up by Timon and Pumba, who teach him the enjoyment of life.

When Nala (more on her part in the movie later) can`t stand the decline of the kingdom anymore, she goes out for help and learns Simba didn`t die in the stampede.  She convinces him to return and defeat Scar and his cronies, to take his rightfull place as king.

Now, the movie seems to have cut down a few of the hilarious moments from the original: the coconut song by Zazou, Timon's hooladress dance, the retarded jackhal... for no reason I can actually think off.  But the main issue I have with this movie is the big namer of the movie: Beyonce.

Don`t get me wrong, nothing against her, but she is just a bad cast for Nala.  Her voice is to old (she is 37 or so) to play a lioness equivalent to a teenager, and it "hears" during the movie.  And Spirit (the song played when they return after finding Simba) doesn`t have the same vibe as the Running Song from the original in my opinion.

But perhaps the greatest lack of all for the movie?  No Elton John`s version of the Circle of Life at the end...