Disney has been doing the whole live-action remake thing for some time now, and it seems like they have the formula down to a science. They use the original story as the main spine of the story and take opportunities to embellish in places where audiences may want to see more story…embellished. It worked for Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, so there’s no reason it wouldn’t work for The Lion King, right?

However, The Lion King has something special the other films didn’t have — AMAZING visual effects. Sure, the others feature plenty of visual style, but like director Jon Favreau’s previous offering, The Jungle Book, The Lion King will virtually be an animated film that resembles live-action.

But is that enough to carry a story? Well, the first critics had a look at the upcoming film, and by and large, based on their reactions on social media, it sounds like the visuals are enough to carry this film that largely succeeds emotionally, even if it’s not quite on par with the original.

RELATED – The Lion King Featurette And New Character Posters Hit

Let’s start with our own resident contributor, James Burns, who saw the film at Walt Disney Studios yesterday:

#TheLionKing  is by far the best live action Disney to date. Expertly casted, powerful, and emotional. Don’t miss it and take your kids to see it. PS @billyeichner steals the show.

— 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 𝚆. 𝙱𝚄𝚁𝙽𝚂 (@Indy_Filmmaker) July 10, 2019

And here are some other impressions for the film:

That said…they owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the original #TheLionKing animators and screenwriters as the ‘94 film is used beyond a blueprint – it’s their storyboards.

— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) July 10, 2019

The Lion King is a wonderful adaptation of an iconic classic. It has a few small changes which enhance what was already great and everything else is right on point. The CG can be slightly distracting at times but the emotion quickly covers that. Loved it. pic.twitter.com/9QmsP3PmNh

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 10, 2019

#TheLionKing is a breathtaking visual cinematic achievement. I can’t believe this is a CG animated movie. Timon and Pumbaa steal the show. It’s a good Disney remake but was it necessary? Maybe not, but it’s enjoyable and families are gonna love it.

— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) July 10, 2019

Been lucky to have attended a number of world premieres but not sure I've ever heard as much clapping during a movie as I did tonight at #TheLionKing . Was like being at a rock concert. Movie is going to make so much money. pic.twitter.com/rnU4qf92mt

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 10, 2019

That being said, #TheLionKing does illustrate the limitations of projecting human emotions onto photorealistic animals that can't convey human expression. More in my review when the embargo lifts!

— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) July 10, 2019

So, yeah. On the whole, it looks like a solid entry in the Disney canon that continues their trend of solid adaptations. Even more, it sounds like the visuals have the potential to change filmmaking for the better in a big way. If there was a downside, it sounds like because they are photorealistic lions, that they don’t emote as much as cartoon ones, and therefore, some of the emotion is muted.

But, overall, a visionary take.

Are you excited to see the film? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Various