Sarah Cooke

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Just been to see The Lion King remake. As a big fan of the original (definitely Disney's best film in my opinion, probably owing to the fact it's based on arguably the best play in literature) I was a bit dubious. I needn't have been. If you're also a fan of the original, you'll be delighted, as most scenes are incredibly faithful to it. As with the original, the first song forced a tear to my eye before the title came up, and some of the scenes are so identical shot-wise it's quite astounding. (Think cub Simba lying in the desert, Rafiki going 'Simbaaaa'). The changes forced upon production by making it 'live action' ( meaning no teetering towers of animals in 'I just Can't Wait to be King' or goose-stepping hyenas) are still visually impressive and work well. And there are several deft touches and tweaks to the script to bring it up to date, fill out the story a little in the last third, and show that Disney have a great sense of humour. My one note of caution is that the animals, because they look so real, might be a little scary for young children (especially the hyenas, and Scar.) I'd stick to the original for under 5s, unless you know they're hardened to 'mild peril' and a loud sound effects. My verdict. 9/10 A very impressive film where nostalgia meets state-of-the-art CGI. (It would have been 10 but I missed Rowan Atkinson too much.) Roarsome.