The new version of “The Lion King” is exactly the kind of soulless, cash-grab you’d expect from a company that has ravaged their back catalog for profit. Everything from “Cinderella” to this year’s “Aladdin” has been remade by the United States of Disney under the guise of reintroducing animated classics to a new generation. If you really want to reintroduce the classics then re-release the original films and cultivate new ideas or at the very least bring something new to the table when you remake them. As it stands, this current reimagining of the 1994 animated classic is just the equivalent of badly tracing over the original work.

Director Jon Favreau is no stranger to taking something old and making it “new” again since his last film was the equally unnecessary 2016 version of “The Jungle Book.” For “The Lion King,” Favreau has taken things up a notch (or down depending on where you stand with the finished product). Long gone are the actors who stood on wires and motion-capture suits to portray their animal counterparts in “The Jungle Book.” Every detail and frame in the 2019 “Lion King” has been created on a computer with actors filling in the dialogue later and while this may seem like a noteworthy advancement, it quickly becomes a deep dive into the uncanny valley. The magic and animated wonder that made the 1994 version roar with life, has been replaced with a whimper by its modern counterpart.

Suspicion arose quickly when early marketing for this version of “The Lion King” featured almost no dialogue whatsoever, always a red flag when it comes to separating expectations from reality. The only voice actor featured in the marketing was James Earl Jones as patriarch Mufasa, the only one to be a part of both versions. And indeed the final product does little to change those early worries with miscast voice actors who bring an off-kilter rhythm to what should’ve been a slam-dunk copy and paste job. New additions like Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Beyonce Knowles-Carter do what they can with what they’re given but to little effect. Ejiofor in particular, as the villainous Scar, is the worst offender, audiences will wish Disney had just brought back Jeremy Irons to voice the part instead.

For dedicated fans, the original musical numbers are still here (with a few additions as well) and they mostly land with a thud. The aforementioned Ejiofor continues to disappoint in his big splashy rendition of “Be Prepared”, yet in his defense singing is not his day job. The same can’t be said for Glover and Knowles-Carter whose big duet of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” is shockingly lifeless. It says something that the only respite from this new “Lion King” comes in the form of comic relief in the second half, courtesy of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as the bumbling Timon and Pumbaa.

If you’re curious to see this new version of “The Lion King”, and I understand the fascination, know that this is a watered down product. If you’re strong enough to resist temptation stick with the original version instead. It’s shorter, livelier and a much more fulfilling experience.

Rating: C-

“The Lion King” is now playing in theaters nationwide.