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Be prepared, 'The Lion King' is a cinematic headache

by Trevor Sheffield Over the course of my career in analyzing and critiquing film, I would be lying if I said I haven’t come across many people who have questioned me and my line of work, specifically in regard to the material I tend to focus on. Questions like, “Do you only review ‘big’ movies?,” “Why do you get angry at kids’ movies?,” and “Trevor, why are you talking to yourself?!?” To answer: A. I’ve reviewed plenty of smaller movies in my time (see my backlog). B. I get angry at these kinds of movies because, more often than not, filmmakers think they can get away with being lazy. It’s not hard to assume that the target audience for these films is no smarter than a day-old papaya. Kids are smart, and these movies often leave a lasting impact on who they grow up to be. If you feed a child nothing but trash their whole life, they’ll likely go in the bin along with it as they grow older. To say that schlock like Wonder Park is less accountable for criticism than a film like the latest Men In Black retread or a “prestige” film like Room for Rent is to invalidate the efforts of hundreds of legitimate artists and filmmakers, regardless of the final product. And C? It’s because of movies like The Lion King (2019).

Our Friend is Doomed

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Iron Man Jungle Book (2016) The Lion King (2019)
The Lion King Favreau outright denying in numerous interviews and articles that the film was animated reviewed A prior claim by Favreau that the film isn’t a shot-for-shot remake Lion King’s Dumbo (2019)

Everything the Light Touches...Goes to Hell

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The Lion King (2019)

Throw the Baby Off the Cliff

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The Lion King (2019) wonderful
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