The new remake of The Lion King, sincerely, is a technological marvel. The environments and animals look so photorealistic that it could pass as a live-action movie in some areas. However, that’s not what a lot of people actually want from The Lion King. In turning The Lion King into “Planet Earth if it was a drama,” Disney missed what made the original Lion King so memorable. The stylized animation is gone, the nuance that could only be expressed through cartoony visuals is gone, the character is gone.

There are plenty of comparisons between the live-action remake and the original, like this one published by IGN, that highlights the problems of the remake’s realism. In particular, I’d like to highlight this comparison shot showcasing Scar. On the right is the original Lion King, where Scar’s villainous nature is highlighted by multiple things: the green lighting, the long shadow cast behind him, his unique character design, the pompous posture as he delivers his speech, etc. The left shot of the remake is pretty much a lion standing ominously on a rock in a bleak background.

The Lion King stands in stark contrast with the recently announced Lupin the Third movie. For some background, Lupin the Third is a franchise centered around the exploits of the great-grandson of the famous thief Arsene Lupin and his cohorts Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, and their run-ins with Inspector Zenigata. There have been multiple installments referred to as “parts,” with probably the most mainstream installment of Lupin being the movie The Castle of Cagliostro, which was Hayao Miyazaki’s feature film debut.

Lupin, wearing his iconic Part 3 red jacket, will be making his debut in a 3D CG feature film on December 6th. However, it’s not like The Lion King. Lupin and the gang don’t look like hyperrealistic people. They look exactly the way they should. Lupin himself retains his monkey-like face and cocky demeanor, posing as he would in an expressive 2D cartoon. The trailer showcases goofy antics and the stylized action that can be seen in the best of Lupin the Third, adapting it faithfully into a new dimension.

What separates the upcoming Lupin movie from The Lion King – or heck, many of Disney’s remakes – is that it isn’t afraid of being itself. The Lupin movie feels like an evolution instead of a reinvention, its cartoony and goofy action shown in a whole new form. In contrast, the new Disney remakes feel like they’re ashamed of being animators. The Disney movies feel like they’re trying to appeal to nostalgic adults that think they’re too good for normal cartoons and while The Lion King is animated, it’s photorealistic to distance itself from its cartoony origins. Meanwhile, Lupin makes sure that its original audience feels right at home.

Seeing the Lupin the Third movie trailer a day after a soulless version of Hakuna Matata was shown off on Jimmy Kimmel felt like a sign. A sign that remakes can remember the charm that the original works have. Will the upcoming Disney remakes of Mulan and The Little Mermaid fair better in terms of critical response? Who knows. Regardless, as a Lupin fan, I am genuinely stoked for its movie and as a cynical Disney fan, I hope that the studio does better.

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