Disney's all about the CGI now - I get it. But there's something about hyper-realistic talking animals that simply rips my insides apart.
I understand the need to make animals look lifelike when sharing the screen with real, human actors. But the problem is opting for photorealism in an all-cast film of anthropomorphic animals that talk, sing, and dance. Animated creatures depend on exaggerated features and facial expressions to convey powerful emotions to its audience. The pitfall of designing animals in a hyper-realistic way is that they lose their capacity to take on human characteristics - the basic principle of anthropomorphism.
One of the most unique and and memorable aspects of an animated Disney classic, particularly The Lion King, is its ability to use its characters to convey heart-warming and pin-sharp emotions in an authentic and believable way. The 1994 original (can't believe I have to use the term "original" now), is packed with the animators' masterful execution of Simba's emotional delivery.
Who can forget this hair-raising moment?
Or this one?
What I think about most when I lay awake at night is how they're going to pull this off in a remake that looks so damn realistic that the characters could pass for real animals at a wildlife safari. Are these CGI doppelgangers capable of "Hakuna Matata-ing" their way through our hearts and souls?
The classic ink and paint animation that's traditionally designed to represent reality as a stylised caricature, has evolved into a level of hyperrealism that's slowly stripping away the most unique features of the original art form. "14 bis" and I certainly appear to be on the same page:
Now don't get me wrong. It's not that the artistic skill and advancements in technology aren't worth praising - they absolutely are. From a technical standpoint, the animation appears flawless. And therein lies the irony: flawless, but not mesmerising. Lifelike, but not spellbinding. Animation has reached a paradoxical point, where the visuals are so real they diminish the overall illusion of fantasy - the foundation on which animation was created in the first place.
Maybe I'm nostalgic and bitter. Or maybe I'm onto something. It's a question each individual raised on an entertainment diet of the Disney Renaissance must ask themselves sooner or later: is this the future of animation?
Honestly though. What emotion is Simba fashioning here? Is he mystified? Perplexed? Is he even looking at the spirit of his deceased father who walks on clouds in the form of a cloud to remind him of his place in the great circle of life?
It sure is hard to tell without those big, golden eyes...