The Lion King Live Action Will Blow Your Mind

Hey Cuties,

I am back with another one of the most anticipated movies of the year. I feel like I keep saying that, but it is true. Everyone is talking about Disney’s The Lion King. It is in theaters everywhere Friday, July 19th, but on today I’m going to tell you how I felt about it.

About The Lion King Live Action:

Disney’s “The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy, and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his. The all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon. Utilizing pioneering filmmaking techniques to bring treasured characters to life in a whole new way, Disney’s “The Lion King” roars into theaters on July 19, 2019.

In 1994 the animated version of The Lion King made its debut. I was 15 years old and into my teenagery business however, my niece was an itty bitty. She and I would watch The Lion King on VHS over and over again. We spent most of our time singing the songs which were a bonus feature. I still remember all the words to all the songs. I also sang them in dramatic fashion while watching the LIVE version.

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Whenever I hear James Earl Jones’ voice I get excited, he speaks with such authority and power. You know it is him without looking, he voice just commands that type of attention.  Even better that he was the only voice from the original cast of The Lion King. Nobody, I mean nobody could replace James Earl Jones as Mufasa, it just isn’t possible. I noticed that James Earl Jones didn’t have a promotional character picture like all the other cast members. Then the screening went down and I noticed he wasn’t there either. I hadn’t heard about him being sick or anything, so whatagwan? Well, Sr. James Earl is 88 years old and he is not about that bi-coast life. He is an East Coaster and the premiere and such took place on the West Coast. He did not sign up for the brutal flight across the country and I feel him. By all means, sir do live your life on your own accord. As a result, I present to you the above collection. There was NO WAY I could leave him out, so I was resourceful. See what I did there?

The Cast of The Lion King

Mufasa: James Earl Jones,  Sarabi: Alfre Woodard, Young Simba: JD McCrary, Young Nala: Shahadi Wright Joseph, Simba: Donald Glover, Nala: Beyoncé,  Scar: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pumbaa: Seth Rogen, Timon: Billy Eichner, Zazu: John Oliver, The Hyena’s: Eric André, Florence Kasumba and Keegan-Michael Key are Azizi, Shenzi and Kamari.

Before going to see the movie I had the following concerns:

• Will they ruin the original songs that I love so much?
• Will this version be a carbon copy of the first?
• Will it be as good as the original?
• Will the new cast do justice to the characters?
• But, what about the songs though?

The Lion King Review in Thoughts:

• Zazu is hilarious, he totally represents the elders in our world.
• People say all God’s creatures are beautiful, they lied. Hyenas are absolutely ugly AF.
• Every time I saw Mufasa I really saw King Jaffe Jofer and that made me giggle.
• Mufasa & Simba father-son dynamic reminds me of Husbabe & The Manchild.
• Everyone has a Scar in their life, don’t let them make you forget who you are.
• The Hyenas are hilarious, but they take the easy way out of life every chance they get.
• Watching the LIVE Action version really made me feel like I was in the jungle with these animals.
• Timon & Pumbaa are my absolute favorite. They remind me of myself and my best good girlfriends. They hype you up good or bad every chance they get.
• This movie was also a reminder of how beautiful our world is in its simplest form.
• My most favorite scene in the movie includes birds beatboxing. It was so freaking dope.
• They redid all of the songs, I didn’t hate them, but I couldn’t sing along to every riff and run like I could with the original versions. But, that didn’t stop me from trying.

I loved the movie, they did the original justice, but they put a modern spin on it in the best way possible. I laughed a lot, I felt like they fed my spirit with the jewels of wisdom that were weaved into the story. The movie is dramatic and it is real, and we all experience a moment in life when we feel like we are ready to soar. Sometimes we feel like we are ready before our parents think we are but we learn to fly on our own. The movie is an excellent conversation starter for parents to have with their kids.  As a mother of a teenager, his desire for independence is growing on a daily basis.

My Favorite Jewels of Wisdom:

• “Who are you? Remember who you are.”
• “If I don’t fight for it, who will?” – Simba
• “I am only brave when I have to be.” – Mufasa
• “Why eat one meal, when you can eat for life.” – Scar
• “To change the future you have to put the past behind you. Turn what into a so what.” Timon & Pumbaa

Go see The Lion King. Take everyone in the family no matter how old they are. There is something for everyone. This movie does not disappoint. I watched in 2D on a massive theater screen and OH MY GOSH as beautiful as it was there were moments when my vertigo was triggered.

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