Page Revisions:

(May 5, 2024) Original
(August 18, 2024) New Trailer (#2) — New Poster (#2)

Release Date:

December 20, 2024

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.”

Poster Rating: C+ / C+

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Review: (#1, C+) While it’s an interesting effort, it would work better if young Mufasa were actually looking at his reflection rather than looking up at the audience. It makes the images incongruous.

(#2, C+) It’s the same design as the prior except with a slightly different color scheme.

Trailer Rating: B / C+

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Review: (#1, B) While it stumbles a bit into its final reel, the most detrimental element to the trailer is the complete lack of musical reference. There’s music but when the animals are dancing in circles and in other configuration, the songs are absent and while that might preserve some of the mystery, it inhibits most interest in the film. Sure it stats off with the Lion King opening number about the circle of life, but feels like it’s avoiding anything substantive. Otherwise, the effects look more impressive than the prior film’s did, so that’s at least a plus.

(#2, C+) Setting the story up in more detail is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that it makes the film’s premise more sensical. The curse is that doing so makes the film look derivative and uninspired. Throw in the mix that as the trailer progresses, the plot begins to make less sense and you have a recipe for disaster.

Oscar Prospects:

Could be a contender for Best Visual Effects like its predecessor but nothing else seems likely at this point.

Trailer #1

Trailer #2

Posters

Poster #1Poster #2