--- title: "The Lion King" year: 2019 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-lion-king-2019" fi1m_id: "the-lion-king-2019" imdb_id: "tt6105098" tmdb_id: 420818 wikidata_id: "Q27044293" fi1m_score: 52 critics_score: 51 critics_reviews: 33 published: "2026-09-24T01:56:42.645270+00:00" updated: "2026-09-24T01:56:43.079171+00:00" region: "MY" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Lion King (2019) Directed by Jon Favreau · 1h 58m · Adventure, Drama, Family, Animation ## Identity The Lion King - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-lion-king-2019 - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-lion-king-2019 - **IMDb ID:** tt6105098 - **TMDB ID:** 420818 - **Wikidata ID:** Q27044293 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6105098/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/420818, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27044293 **Fi1m score: 52** · Critics 51 from 33 reviews *In a sentence:* The most lifelike lions ever put on a screen, and not one of them can raise an eyebrow > Jon Favreau’s remake has some of the most convincing animals ever put in a family film and cannot make one of them look sad. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scar and a fine opening are the reasons to stay; the rest is the 1994 film with the expressions taken out. ## Synopsis Mufasa (James Earl Jones), king of the Pride Lands, presents his newborn son Simba to the animals gathered below Pride Rock, while his brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) stays in his cave and sulks about the succession. Simba grows into a boastful cub (JD McCrary) who wants to be king now, and his father tries to teach him what the job means: the kings in the stars, the hunt, the circle of life. Zazu (John Oliver), the hornbill who serves as the king’s adviser, keeps watch and reports back. Egged on by his uncle, Simba takes his friend Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph) past the border to the elephant graveyard, where the hyenas Kamari (Keegan-Michael Key) and Azizi (Eric Andre) are waiting. Scar has plans of his own for the throne. ## Review Jon Favreau has taken the 1994 animated film, kept its story, most of its songs and a good many of its shots, and rebuilt it with lions that look as though a documentary crew found them on the savannah. The engineering is remarkable. The film runs 118 minutes, and for most of them it is not much of a film. Jeff Nathanson’s screenplay follows the old outline so closely that you could set a watch by it, and the question the whole enterprise raises, and never answers, is what a talking lion gains by looking exactly like a lion. For the first five minutes we were got at. Caleb Deschanel lights the dawn over the Pride Lands as a slow orange wash, the herds come in across the plain, Hans Zimmer’s brass and choir rise under them, and when Rafiki (John Kani) climbs Pride Rock and lifts the cub, we felt the old catch in the throat exactly where we felt it twenty-five years ago. Then Zazu (John Oliver) opened his beak, the animals began to talk, and the feeling drained away over the next ten minutes and did not come back. The trouble is faces. A real lion cannot raise an eyebrow or look sheepish, and Favreau has decided his lions must behave like real lions. So Mufasa (James Earl Jones) delivers his speech about the kings in the stars wearing the same expression he uses to survey the waterhole. Young Simba (JD McCrary) and Young Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph) sing “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” well, and the film stages it as a rush of ostriches and antelope, but the two cubs at the centre of it look the same throughout, alert and slightly blank, like cats waiting to be fed. Adam Gerstel and Mark Livolsi cut away to the herds whenever a line needs a reaction, which tells you they knew. What survives is the voice work, and one voice above all. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scar is a low, reasoning growl, a lion who has thought about his grievances for years and states them as facts. He is more frightening than the cartoon because he is less amused. James Chinlund’s production design gives him and his hyenas an elephant graveyard of tusks and steam vents, the one place in the film where the realism adds dread instead of removing fun. Kamari (Keegan-Michael Key) and Azizi (Eric Andre) squabble in the bone piles and are the closest the first half comes to a laugh. Alfre Woodard’s Sarabi has two scenes of quiet steel. Simba grows up into Donald Glover, who is amiable and is asked to be little more. Beyoncé’s Nala arrives with authority and a singing voice the film seems slightly afraid of; the big duet is sung well and staged in broad daylight, two lions padding through a jungle, and we watched it wondering who had decided the word “tonight” was negotiable. Timon and Pumbaa, the meerkat and the warthog, are the loosest thing here, talking past the edges of the old lines, and for a quarter of an hour the film remembers it is allowed to be silly. We were grateful, and then aware of being grateful for a meerkat, which is not where a film this size should leave you. Favreau did this once before with [*The Jungle Book*](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book) in 2016, and that film had a human boy in the middle of it, one real face for the animals to play off. Here there is no such face. Every scene is a conversation between two creatures who cannot show what they think, and Zimmer’s score does the emotional work in their place, swelling on cue like a hand on your shoulder. He wrote it the first time round, and here it is asked to carry far too much. The reviews so far split three ways, and we understand every one of them. If you have a child who does not know the story, the PG certificate is fair, the animals are a pleasure to look at, and the graveyard is loud enough to make anyone grip the sofa. If you know the 1994 film, you will spend two hours checking, and there is not much else to do. At home it plays as a handsome nature programme with musical numbers, and you may find yourself waiting for the lions to stop talking. *Fi1m score 52, published 24 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics agree on what the film is: a technical achievement of a high order, and a near shot-for-shot retelling of the original. The photorealistic animals and landscapes are admired almost everywhere, including in the harshest reviews. The other point of agreement is Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, whose Timon and Pumbaa are named as the liveliest thing on screen by more than a dozen critics, sometimes as the only fresh thing in it. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scar draws some praise too. The split is over what the realism costs. Most say the lifelike animals cannot show feeling, so the songs and the big emotional beats land softer than they did as drawings, and the fidelity leaves the film with little reason to exist. The spread is wide. The Evening Standard, the Independent and The Skinny give four stars, and Variety calls it exhilarating; Polygon and Eye for Film find it close to empty. Mixed verdicts outnumber both ends. ## Straight answers **Is The Lion King worth watching?** *The Lion King* (2019) is a mixed remake we scored 52: the most convincing animals ever put in a family film, retelling the 1994 story almost shot for shot with the expressions taken out. Chiwetel Ejiofor's Scar and a fine opening are the reasons to stay. It suits a child who does not know the story; anyone who does will spend two hours checking. **How long is The Lion King, and what is it rated?** *The Lion King* runs 1h 58m. It is an adventure and drama film. **Where can I watch The Lion King in Malaysia?** *The Lion King* is not on any streaming or rental service in Malaysia at the moment. It is available in 49 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does The Lion King compare to The Lion King?** *The Lion King* (2019) is the 1994 film rebuilt with photoreal lions, and the drawn original is the better of the two: its faces move, its songs land, and it is half an hour shorter. The remake gains a more frightening Scar in Chiwetel Ejiofor and a handsome opening, but loses the feeling. Choose the earlier one unless the animals themselves are the draw. **What should I watch after The Lion King?** After *The Lion King*, try [*The Lion King*](https://film.one/film/the-lion-king) (1994, Fi1m 84): The drawn one; the faces move, the songs land, and it is half an hour shorter. Then [*The Jungle Book*](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book-2016) (2016, Fi1m 72): Favreau’s earlier animal remake, with a real boy at its centre and better for it; and [*Watership Down*](https://film.one/film/watership-down) (1978, Fi1m 81): British rabbits, hand-drawn, frightening and grieving in ways this film cannot manage. ### Reviews we read (33) - **Evening Standard**, David Sexton (4/5): Sexton finds the remake a cutting-edge visual spectacle but less emotionally effective than the original. He praises the lively performances of Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner, while faulting the photo-realistic animals’ inability to emote convincingly. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-lion-king-review-a-cutting-edge-spectacle-but-it-doesnt-have-the-originals-emotional-impact-a4188051.html) - **The Independent**, Clarisse Loughrey (4/5): Loughrey praises the film as a technological marvel that uses nostalgia to experiment with a familiar story. She singles out the hyperrealistic visuals and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen’s comic performances as highlights. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-lion-king-review-disney-remake-live-action-cgi-beyonce-cast-a9000856.html) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critic's Pick): Debruge finds the remake exhilarating and technically impressive, though ultimately safe and reliant on the original’s strengths. He singles out the convincing visual effects and the performances, especially the fresh dimension Donald Glover brings to Simba. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-lion-king-review-1203264678/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (75/100, inferred): Turan finds the remake a polished, satisfying entertainment that largely preserves the original. He praises its gorgeous, lifelike visuals and the care taken to make the digitally created animals feel authentic. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-lion-king-beyonce-review-20190711-story.html) - **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (75/100, inferred): The standfirst presents Favreau’s film as thrilling and loyal to the original. It singles out the photo-realistic style as a strength. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-lion-king-review/5141097.article) - **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be established. The available page text contains only a browser-check message. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-2019) - **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page appears to be a review, but its text is inaccessible. The available content does not reveal the critic’s verdict or what they singled out. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/movies/the-lion-king-review.html) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (3/3/2): The review finds the remake visually dazzling but emotionally hollow and less effective than the original. It praises the technical sophistication while criticising photorealism for making the characters less expressive. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-lion-king) - **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (3/5): Johnston finds the remake technically impressive but suggests it lacks some of the original’s dramatic force. He singles out the realistic-looking CGI as a triumph of computer programming. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-j6rr1j/the-lion-king/) - **The Guardian**, Mark Kermode (3/5): Kermode finds the remake visually impressive but ultimately pointless. He praises its lifelike animals and beautifully rendered landscapes, while criticizing how photorealism limits the story’s imaginative appeal. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/21/the-lion-king-review-remake-jon-favreau-beyonce) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (3/5): The review finds the remake loses some heart and feels defiantly unmagical. It singles out the photorealistic, high-tech sheen as a source of what feels off. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-lion-king-2019) - **Total Film**, Matt Maytum (3/5): The critic finds the remake an astonishing spectacle but says its hyperreal visuals sometimes clash with the drama and songs. The painstakingly rendered visuals, especially the lighting and backgrounds, are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/lion-king-review/) - **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (50/100, inferred): Sragow regards the remake as lavish but too familiar to make the beloved tale feel fresh. He singles out its photorealistic spectacle as a reason to revisit the story, though not to experience it anew. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-the-lion-king/) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (50/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the remake technically impressive but lacking a unifying vision. He praises Chiwetel Ejiofor’s powerful Scar and the film’s strongest theatrical moments, while criticizing the inexpressive animal characters. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/the-lion-king-2019-review.html) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (D+): Dowd finds the remake joyless and artistically diminished by its photorealistic approach. He singles out Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen’s banter as a rare fresh pleasure. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/be-prepared-for-the-photorealistic-cruddiness-of-disney-1836271258) - **Empire**, Helen O'Hara (40/100, inferred): O’Hara finds the film visually impressive but emotionally less effective than the original, and ultimately not fully justified. She praises the lively performances of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which bring welcome humour and energy. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-lion-king-2019/) - **The i Paper**, Nick Hasted (★★): Hasted argues that the remake is a cynical, unnecessary retread that drains feeling from the original. He praises its CGI realism and sound design, while criticizing its failure to tell a new story. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-lion-king-review-2019-donald-glover-beyonce-cast-story-movie-release-date-314899) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (D): Ehrlich calls the remake a creatively bankrupt failure that misunderstands the appeal of the original. He praises the opening “Circle of Life” sequence and the chemistry between Timon and Pumbaa, while criticizing the animation’s emotional flatness. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-lion-king-review-2019-1202157153/) - **Sight and Sound**, Alex Dudok de Wit (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the remake listless, arguing that its photorealism drains the story of the original’s emotional force. He praises Chiwetel Ejiofor’s menacing reimagining of Scar, while faulting the restrained animation for failing to express the characters’ emotions. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/lion-king-review-disneys-cgi-remake-lifelike-listless) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the remake safe, predictable, and overlong, despite its impressive photorealistic imagery. He singles out the lifelike visuals and animal animation as the film’s chief achievement. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lion-king-review-1223757/) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (30/100, inferred): Lane finds the remake visually astonishing but emotionally unlovable, with its realism undermining the animated story’s charm. He singles out the animals’ unsettling, humanlike mouths as a flaw that makes the painstaking CGI feel implausible. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/does-the-lion-king-need-cgi) - **Slant Magazine**, Pat Brown (1/4): The critic argues that the remake is a tiresome retread that pales beside the original. They fault its realism for constraining the animals’ expressiveness and diminishing the musical sequences. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-lion-king-2019-review/) - **The Skinny**, Joseph Walsh (★★★★): The review finds the remake visually spectacular but says it lacks some of the original’s magic. It praises Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen for stealing the show as Timon and Pumbaa. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-lion-king) - **Den of Geek**, Richard Jordan (3/5): Jordan finds the remake enjoyable but overly faithful to the original, leaving it short on energy and personality. He praises its groundbreaking photorealistic visuals, along with the comic performances of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-lion-king-review-the-cats-whiskers-or-a-royal-bore/) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C): Goldberg finds the remake artistically unnecessary, arguing that its photorealism and fidelity to the original undermine its emotional impact. He praises the technical achievement and the playful spontaneity of Timon and Pumbaa, but says the film’s frozen expressions and lack of originality outweigh those strengths. [Read](https://collider.com/the-lion-king-review/) - **Paste**, Will Leitch (C): Leitch finds the remake lifeless and overly literal despite its faithful recreation of the original story and songs. He praises the opening presentation of Simba as lyrical and beautifully rendered, but says the talking animals lose their vitality. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-lion-king/the-lion-king-review) - **Consequence**, Meagan Navarro (45/100, inferred): Navarro finds the remake visually impressive but emotionally hollow and too faithful to the original. She singles out Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen’s performances as the film’s comedic highlight. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/07/film-review-the-lion-king/) - **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (45/100, inferred): The review finds the remake technically impressive but too faithful to offer much that is new. It singles out Timon and Pumbaa’s scenes as the funniest and freshest part of the film. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a28392856/lion-king-review-2019-disney-remakes/) - **The Ringer**, Rob Harvilla (45/100, inferred): Harvilla finds the remake watchable but oddly bloodless, settling for “good enough” rather than offering much wonder. He praises Timon and Pumbaa’s comic relief, especially Billy Eichner’s performance, while finding the songs and photorealistic approach diminished. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2019/07/19/movies/lion-king-remake-review) - **The Wrap** (35/100, inferred): The review finds the remake technically impressive but only half-successful, with its photorealism draining the story of life. It praises Timon and Pumbaa’s performances as a rare source of genuine liveliness. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-lion-king-film-review-2019-jon-favreau/) - **/Film**, Josh Spiegel (3/10): The critic argues that the remake is hollow and adds little to the original, despite its visual realism. Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen’s performances as Timon and Pumbaa are singled out as the film’s only effective moments. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/567626/the-lion-king-review/) - **Eye for Film**, John-Anthony Disotto (10/100, inferred): The critic finds the remake emotionally empty and disappointing. They praise the outstanding animation but argue that its lifelike CGI drains the story of feeling. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-lion-king-2019-film-review-by-john-anthony-disotto) - **Polygon**, Matt Patches (10/100, inferred): The review pans the remake as an arrogant, uninspired successor that mistakes photorealism for artistic improvement. It praises Billy Eichner’s lively performance as Timon as a rare bright spot. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/11/20690363/the-lion-king-2019-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Jon Favreau - **Director:** Jon Favreau - **Screenplay:** Jeff Nathanson - **Cinematography:** Caleb Deschanel - **Editor:** Mark Livolsi, Adam Gerstel - **Music:** Hans Zimmer - **Production design:** James Chinlund - **Producer:** Jeffrey Silver, Jon Favreau, Karen Gilchrist - **Cast:** Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar (voice); John Oliver as Zazu (voice); Donald Glover as Simba (voice); James Earl Jones as Mufasa (voice); John Kani as Rafiki (voice); Alfre Woodard as Sarabi (voice); Beyoncé as Nala (voice); JD McCrary as Young Simba (voice) - **Runtime:** 1h 58m - **First release (the US):** 9 July 2019 - **Genres:** Adventure, Drama, Family, Animation - **Budget:** $260 million - **Box office:** $1.66 billion - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY ## Where to watch in Malaysia Not streaming, renting or buying in Malaysia at the last check. Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2020: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Lion King* (1994), Fi1m 84: The drawn one; the faces move, the songs land, and it is half an hour shorter — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lion-king.md) - *The Jungle Book* (2016), Fi1m 72: Favreau’s earlier animal remake, with a real boy at its centre and better for it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book-2016.md) - *The Bear* (1988): Jean-Jacques Annaud’s orphaned cub story with actual bears and no dialogue to get in the way - *Watership Down* (1978), Fi1m 81: British rabbits, hand-drawn, frightening and grieving in ways this film cannot manage — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/watership-down.md) - *Kirikou and the Sorceress* (1998): A West African folk tale animated in flat, bright colour, with a village that feels lived in --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-lion-king-2019