---
title: "The Lion King: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-lion-king-2019/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-lion-king-2019"
critics_score: 51
critics_reviews: 33
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): what the critics said

Critics' score 51 from 33 reviews: 6 positive, 15 mixed, 12 negative.

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.

## Evening Standard — David Sexton

Rating 4/5. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](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

Rating 4/5. 18 July 2019. 

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 the review](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

Rating Critic's Pick. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-lion-king-review-1203264678/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-lion-king-beyonce-review-20190711-story.html)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2019. 

The standfirst presents Favreau’s film as thrilling and loyal to the original. It singles out the photo-realistic style as a strength.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-lion-king-review/5141097.article)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-2019)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/movies/the-lion-king-review.html)

## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward

Rating 3/3/2. 16 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-lion-king)

## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston

Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-j6rr1j/the-lion-king/)

## The Guardian — Mark Kermode

Rating 3/5. 21 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/21/the-lion-king-review-remake-jon-favreau-beyonce)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 3/5. 10 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-lion-king-2019)

## Total Film — Matt Maytum

Rating 3/5. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/lion-king-review/)

## Film Comment — Michael Sragow

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-the-lion-king/)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/the-lion-king-2019-review.html)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating D+. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/be-prepared-for-the-photorealistic-cruddiness-of-disney-1836271258)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-lion-king-2019/)

## The i Paper — Nick Hasted

Rating ★★. 17 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-lion-king-review-2019-donald-glover-beyonce-cast-story-movie-release-date-314899)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating D. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-lion-king-review-2019-1202157153/)

## Sight and Sound — Alex Dudok de Wit

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/lion-king-review-disneys-cgi-remake-lifelike-listless)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lion-king-review-1223757/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/does-the-lion-king-need-cgi)

## Slant Magazine — Pat Brown

Rating 1/4. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-lion-king-2019-review/)

## The Skinny — Joseph Walsh

Rating ★★★★. 15 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-lion-king)

## Den of Geek — Richard Jordan

Rating 3/5. 19 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-lion-king-review-the-cats-whiskers-or-a-royal-bore/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating C. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://collider.com/the-lion-king-review/)

## Paste — Will Leitch

Rating C. 19 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-lion-king/the-lion-king-review)

## Consequence — Meagan Navarro

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://consequence.net/2019/07/film-review-the-lion-king/)

## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 15 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a28392856/lion-king-review-2019-disney-remakes/)

## The Ringer — Rob Harvilla

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/07/19/movies/lion-king-remake-review)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-lion-king-film-review-2019-jon-favreau/)

## /Film — Josh Spiegel

Rating 3/10. 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/567626/the-lion-king-review/)

## Eye for Film — John-Anthony Disotto

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-lion-king-2019-film-review-by-john-anthony-disotto)

## Polygon — Matt Patches

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/11/20690363/the-lion-king-2019-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-lion-king-2019.md