But The Lion King is not a silent film, and every time characters talk on screen, an instant sense of lifelessness sets in.
As much as Favreau and the many visual-effects artists credited here have successfully recreated (at least to the eye of this viewer) the landscapes of Africa, it’s in service to a misguided idea.
When you’re not watching lions, hyenas, meerkats, and warthogs talking on screen, it’s an impressive display of visual technology, a successful proof of concept.
Photo-real animals look wrong when they talk or sing.