5 things you should watch out for in ‘The Lion King’

25 years after Disney held the world spellbound with its spectacular animated movie, ‘Lion King, the remake returns to screen.

The remake of the classic movie has cashed in on the nostalgic feeling from viewers since the release of the teaser and official trailers.

‘The Lion King’ is a story about succession, monarchies, sex, and death all wrapped around characters that include large cats, warthogs, meerkats, and the Circle of Life.

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Here’s a list of five things to look out for as the ‘Lion King’ opens in cinemas.

1. Circle of Life

Lion King [gamespot] Pulse Nigeria

The first scene of the 2019 remake of ‘The Lion King’ is - as expected - the circle of life. The remake of the 1994 classic opens with the whole savannah gathering to watch a young Simba been presented by Rafiki as the crowned prince and future king of the pride land. The pretty stirring sequence has Lindiwe Mkhize singing to the whole operatic journey that is The Lion King. The opening scene is more characterised with sunsets and running animals and animals in the pride land while the song serenades through.

2. The comedy

The humour infused in the original ‘The Lion King’ remains relevant in the 2019 remake of the classic movie. Viewers will have a field day laughing at some of the dialogue in the movie, which has over 43 million views after the official trailer was released in April 2019. Despite the lessons to be learnt from the classic, the comedy remains an integral part of it.

3. Chiwetel Ejiofor sings

For Nigerian-British actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, the lessons learnt at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art was brought to the fore in the ‘Lion King’. Taking on the crucial role of ‘Scar’ in the 2019 remake of the classic, Ejiofor was tasked with singing the iconic villain song, ‘Be Prepared’. Compared to the rendition of the song in 1994 by Jeremy Irons, Ejiofor sings the villain song as a more menacing Scar.

Scar with other lions [The Independent] Pulse Nigeria

With the theatrics and humor out of the song, Scar’s myopic, grand ambition and obsession with power become the highlights of the song for the 2019 remake. Ejiofor’s performance as Scar, a menacing brother to Mufasa remains remarkable. Ejiofor’s Scar is very different. It is more menacing, and not only believes himself to be the rightful king but he even once challenged Mufasa for the crown and lost. Ejiofor is angrier, more malevolent, and more terrifying.

4. Timon, Pumbaa, and Mufasa

Timon and Pumbaa [Vice] Pulse Nigeria

The comedy in the remake of ‘The Lion King’ is complemented by the scenes featuring Timon and Pumbaa. From the hilarious banters between Timon played by Billy Eichner and Pumbaa played by Seth Rogen, a little surprise awaits audience across the world. Though comedy isn’t the primary aim of ‘The Lion King,’ the appearance of Timon and Pumbaa lightens up the moment. The first appearance of Timon and Pumbaa in ‘The Lion King,’ sees the pair injecting some levity into the movie which has gotten dark after the death of Mufasa. Simba is left in despair and as he tries to understand the whole issue, Pumbaa and Timon show up to lighten the scene.

5. Picture perfect characters

Viewers will enjoy the beautiful look of characters in the ‘The Lion King’. The 2019 remake stands tall as a beautiful movie and the best nature documentary ever made with each animal portrayed in a nearly surreal level of photorealism. Though this has a conflicting sight when Nala, Simba, Timon and Pumba sing, the more impressive parts are when the visuals can stand on their own without the Disney songs. A scene viewers will fall in love with aside the circle of life is the earth-shaking avalanche of wildebeests in the stampede scene.