The Lion King

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1:48

The Lion King

PG

2019

1h 58m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

435 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Verified Ratings

Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. 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 soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

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Critics Consensus

While it can take pride in its visual achievements,The Lion King is a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the original so beloved--though for some fans that may just be enough.

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Audience Says

A Disney live-action remake that successfully updates the original, The Lion King adds gorgeous new visual effects to a story the audience knows by heart.

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Ted Piekarz

Chicago Reader

02/21/2020

Watch this Lion King for the technical achievement and musical numbers, and then watch the original to feel satisfied.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

12/10/2019

3.5/4

Overseeing such a massive technical production as this one requires a filmmaker to be on top of every nuance and detail in play. Actor/director Favreau is the right person for the job.

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Hannah Giorgis

The Atlantic

09/10/2019

The Lion King captures just enough of the original's warmhearted excitement -- and introduces enough new delights -- to feel like more than a cynical Disney money grab.

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John Daniel Tangalin

The Cinema Spot

Jul 19

8.1/10

Overall, The Lion King does a splendid job at exhibiting what most of the world loved about the original, but it’s difficult to tackle every element that the animated 1994 film succeeded at.

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Denise Pieniazek

Puesta en Escena (AR)

01/27/2024

4/10

Regarding this version, it does not contribute anything significant or new. Once again we find ourselves under the problem of current cinema, its lack of originality. In addition, the film has several technical and aesthetic problems.

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Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

07/24/2023

A

It doesn’t matter if the story is identical if we cry all the same. It doesn’t matter if we know what’s coming if we still feel nervous and worried about the characters. The Lion King is one of Disney’s best remakes so far, on par with The Jungle Book.

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Walter

Jan 25

Brought back my childhood!!!

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Mike F

Dec 23

While not being quite the perfect masterpiece the original animated film is, this film is a gorgeous remake worthy of the original.

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Natasa J

11/30/2024

It’s a good cute movie. The cartoon may have been better with the song Be Prepared, but the rest of the movie was great.

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Ash c

10/15/2024

The live action lion king is a great movie. simba and the rest of the lion king look great as live action.

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Kyle H

04/12/2024

To try and remake a classic original is ballsy but wasn't as bad as could have been. Glover and the crew do they best they could for what they are set up for.

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Brandi

04/16/2022

Watch the original Lion King.

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Synopsis

Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. 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 soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

Director: Jon Favreau
Producer: Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Silver, Karen Gilchrist
Screenwriter: Jeff Nathanson
Distributor: Walt Disney
Production Co: Fairview Entertainment
Rating: PG (Sequences of Violence|Peril|Some Thematic Elements)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $543.6M
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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