CGI Lion King teaser trailer!

[Minty_Magic]

Phew...so, I'm going to try and keep this as coherent as possible, but I have a lot of strong emotions surrounding the new trailer and I need to try and let them out somehow.

I'm with everyone saying the animation looks incredibly emotionless. What a disappointment, of all the live action remakes I had the most interest in this one. I get that they're going for as realistic as possible, but a this point it would have been better if they had done this Homeward Bound style. Don't make the animals talk, just narrate over them! Filming actual lions in the wild would have probably produced more interesting results than what we're seeing from this.

The other problem I have from seeing the trailer is the character designs. Again, I get they're going for the "realism" but its actually really hard to pick the characters out from each other. The hyenas look especally...the same. Why couldn't they have given Simba his black ear rings? Why isn't Zazu blue?? I don't even know where to begin on what they did with scar but why why why did they get rid of his distinctive dark coat???

I could really rant for a long time on this, but ultimately it boils down to the fact The Lion King never needed a remake in the first place. The truth is, a cartoony style fits this story better than anything else. It's much easier to connect with talking animals when they're given exaggerated expressions and distinct character designs. It's easier to immerse yourself in their world when it has its own distinct flair and color pallete.  Sometimes, cartoons are just the better choice for a certain type of story. I really wish audiences and critics would stop writing off stylized animation as being just for kids. This is still animation, but somehow it's still seen by movie critics as more mature somehow? The whole thing just really gets me upset.

I don't want to sound like I'm dismissing how impressive the technology to make something like this is. I'm sure the team of people who made this movie put in a ton of brainpower and love into what they've made, so I really don't want to seem mean! It definitely achieves its goal of looking real. I just wish it could be used in a movie thats more fit to this kind of animation.

[Zapper]

I also think they should have 'cheated' the photorealism and made his eyes bigger.

I have to disagree heavily on this one because their CG Dumbo had exactly that happen to him and it made him look freaky.

Agree on the colors, tho. Of course I wouldn't have wanted hyenas with black manes and only seven spots because that is way too unrealistic for the style. But giving Scar a darker mane and fur would have been possible without cheating nature.

[Sky_Rocket_Sammie]

I'll be there for the soundtrack but it still looks "meh", if Disney wanted to do live action how about Treasure Planet or Atlantis. I get why they're picking the ones they are which are very popular but frankly one can only catch lightning in a jar once. To rework what's arguably one of the best animated films of all time seems a cash grab and degrades the original work.

They better be careful or they'll shoot themselves in the foot and they'll only have themselves to blame.

[Ragamuffin]

They better be careful or they'll shoot themselves in the foot and they'll only have themselves to blame.

It has its critics, but I unfortunately think the CGI Lion King will do extremely well. I couldn't believe the reception the trailer got, "wow, it looks sooooo good!! Right in the nostalgia!! The feels!! Baby Simba so cute!! Beyonce Nala!! I'm definitely going to see this it looks amazing!"

People hopefully will get tired of remakes but I've been waiting for the superhero craze to burn out for years and they're still coming...

[invaderhorizongreen]

Ehh as much as I am a fan of the animated one I am gonna give this one a skip.

[Sky_Rocket_Sammie]

I find it amusing to watch the tidal shift in merchandise from when these films (animated) original debuted in the 90s. Now, most of the vector art being used was used back then for kids clothes and hardly ever did it feature for anyone above the age of 12. Now? All over the place and I love it.

As a teenager in the 90s, I had to make basically my own iron-on transfers to get the shirts I wanted and was teased something awful for it. Who's laughing now? Thought so.

[Noasar]

I find it amusing to watch the tidal shift in merchandise from when these films (animated) original debuted in the 90s. Now, most of the vector art being used was used back then for kids clothes and hardly ever did it feature for anyone above the age of 12. Now? All over the place and I love it.

As a teenager in the 90s, I had to make basically my own iron-on transfers to get the shirts I wanted and was teased something awful for it. Who's laughing now? Thought so.

Haha this is so true! I loved TLK 1&2 waaaay past the time when it was cool to do so, and now it’s all back in fashion!

[Twizel]

I loved Lion king so much as a kid. If they made this movie using stick figure animation I'd probably still go see it lol. I do wish they'd darkened Scar's mane, though.

Post Merge: May 03, 2019, 06:15:01 AM

They better be careful or they'll shoot themselves in the foot and they'll only have themselves to blame.

It has its critics, but I unfortunately think the CGI Lion King will do extremely well. I couldn't believe the reception the trailer got, "wow, it looks sooooo good!! Right in the nostalgia!! The feels!! Baby Simba so cute!! Beyonce Nala!! I'm definitely going to see this it looks amazing!"

People hopefully will get tired of remakes but I've been waiting for the superhero craze to burn out for years and they're still coming...

I feel like the soundtrack has a lot to do with that reaction. Visually the trailer is ok, but its hearing that music all over again as if its new that grabs me. While I'll go see the movie and probably love it, I have long lamented that CGI has become so overused and overvalued in films.

[Zapper]

https://www.funko.com/blog/article/coming-soon-the-lion-king-pop-1

Scar's mane looks darker on his Funko at least. But he also seems to have orange eyes.

[Sky_Rocket_Sammie]

Watched the trailer for the first time in a theatre, one with the comfy seats and wrap around sound. I could hear! There were moments that yes with the music enhanced the scenes.

Just a few which makes me worried it simply cannot carry the film on those alone. Now I'm so confused, are the animals talking or are the voices voiced over. One would be an interesting nod to something the original film almost had. Which is no dialogue or limited voice overs. 

[LadyMoondancer]

I wouldn't mind them doing voiceovers (like Homeward Bound), that could be interesting.  But don't we see Scar talking at some point with his mouth moving?  Or did I imagine that?

[Zapper]

I wouldn't mind them doing voiceovers (like Homeward Bound), that could be interesting.  But don't we see Scar talking at some point with his mouth moving?  Or did I imagine that?

We see Timon and Pumbaa loudly sing "the lion sleeps tonight" in one of those trailers. I don't think the animals are doing telepathy

[Zapper]

The movie is out today in Germany (two more days for the US) and reviews are flooding in both in German and English and - surprisingly - lots of critics seem to share the opinion that the realistic visuals hurt the movie.

I really want to see it now (allthough I don't want to pay for it).
I think it's interesting a lot of people are on the same page, whether they like the movie or not, that the CG characters not being able to emote properly was a bad idea.
A lot of critics are pointing out that the visuals reminded them of watching a Disney technology demo reel.

Of course the movie will still make money. The Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast remakes were made fun of and criticized and in the end they still came out on top.

On a personal note, I am looking forward to Florence Kasumba who plays Shenzi the hyena leader. She voices the character in both English and German. I always think it's cool when voice actors can speak several languages. Sometimes they play the character differently.

[banditpony]

I think it's interesting a lot of people are on the same page, whether they like the movie or not, that the CG characters not being able to emote properly was a bad idea.
A lot of critics are pointing out that the visuals reminded them of watching a Disney technology demo reel.

Welp. Sounds exactly how I imagined it.. thats sad.

I'll pass..

[Zapper]

I think it's interesting a lot of people are on the same page, whether they like the movie or not, that the CG characters not being able to emote properly was a bad idea.
A lot of critics are pointing out that the visuals reminded them of watching a Disney technology demo reel.

Welp. Sounds exactly how I imagined it.. thats sad.

I'll pass..

It sounds like the trailers are a good way to judge the movie experience.

Since even people who loved the remake said it looks exactly like advertised;
The animals barely emote, some barely move their mouths because of the realism angle and one review pointed out how some of the cute interactions of the characters come across as severe and scary because they can't smile.

Another interesting thing about the reviews is a lot of them mentioning Scar not being portrayed as 100% evil and in the wrong (and calling the director "confused" for doing so). I wonder how this will play out. I was hoping for something that sets this remake apart from the original and I guess Scar could be it?
I am sure my pleas to redeem the hyenas won't be met, but at least there will be a sort of new take on Scar's motivations.