How CGI Killed our Empathy for the Lion King

A lion dies and nobody cries

There are few moments in animated film history more iconic than the death of Mufasa in the original Lion King. The villainous Scar, digging his claws into Mufasa’s paws, lets him dangle from the cliff for what feels like an eternity, before ironically intoning “Long live the king” and pushing him to his death. Mufasa’s eyes widen with combined terror and disbelief, and his mouth opens into a howl of despair as he takes his mortal plummet. His anguish is outdone only by that of young Simba, whose saucer-like eyes fill with horror.

This moment was intense, scarring even, for many a young millennial.

We suspect that scene in the 2019 CGI Lion King remake by director Jon Favreau will not leave nearly the same lasting effect, though it was copied nearly shot-for-shot from the original animated film.

That’s not to say that the animation in the CGI remake was inept or shoddy. Quite the opposite. At times, you almost feel like you are watching the National Geographic channel. Everything from the texture of the lions’ fur to the subtle movements of their muscles feels surprisingly realistic.

And then they start talking. When the animals attempt to act like humans, something just feels… off.