The Lion King Review: 3 Ups & 7 Downs

1. The Stunning Visual Effects

And finally, it bears repeating that though Favreau and Disney have certainly gone a few steps too far in striving for absolutely convincing CGI animals, the movie's visual effects are an absolute triumph on their own merits.

So many individual shots from this movie could be hung on a wall - especially the eye-watering scenic shots - and when the animals aren't busy talking, they totally pass muster as believable reproductions of actual living things.

In that stead it's clear to see where the film's stonking budget has gone, even if it's a shame that nobody realised the obsessive focus on photorealism massively hampered the audience's ability to relate to these characters.

When the film is inevitably nominated for the Best Visual Effects Oscar - and possibly even wins it - it'll be with damn good reason, assuming there isn't a controversy regarding its status as either live action or animated, of course.