‘The Lion King’ Honest Trailer Cuts That Soulless Corporate Product Down to Size

I have somehow managed to avoid most of the big budget celebrity filled remakes that Disney has put out over the last few years, particularly as they've become more soulless beat-for-beat copies of the animated original with thirty minutes of padding. I made it all the way through this past summer without having to see Aladdin or The Lion King, until Labor Day weekend rolled around and an impromptu baby-sitting session of my five year old niece turned into an afternoon at the movies watching The Lion King.

More than any of the previous Disney updatings of their animated flicks, The Lion King is the most misguided of them all because of its commitment to creating photo-real animals. Grounding a fantastical premise in an otherwise realistic setting isn't a terrible idea in and of itself, but making realistic-looking lions and birds and warthogs and hyenas talk, sing, and strut about will never look natural. Your brain rejects it outright.

The good folks over at Screen Junkies make many similar observations in their latest Honest Trailer, which you can check out above. While I understand the financial reasons for these remakes, I can't imagine and child or adult in the world who wouldn't rather watch the much shorter animated version of any of these films over the 21st century remake. Then again, it's damn near impossible to forget that this business is just about money and has no room for foresight of any kind.