THE LION KING, IMAX

THE LION KING, IMAX: With a new IMAX screen in town (Regal Theater), I thought it was time to check it out.  And this reboot of Disney's animation classic into "reality" was my choice.  Well, it turned out to be a bit of a mistake.  The IMAX was out of whack so the top and the bottom (about 2 feet on each side were black)  I complained to the management and got a refund.   But on to the film........Since I am sure you are familiar with the plot, I won't go into that.  But rather, relate some of the brilliance in this new version.  First of all, the cast of voices couldn't be better, with Danny Glover as the adult Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter at the adult Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous Scar, and the comedy relief (scene stealing) of Seth Rogen as Pumba, the warthog and Billy Richner as Timon, the meerkat.  John Kani as Rafiki, the baboon and John Oliver as Zasu, the up-tight, red billed hornbill are also stellar in their roles.  The CGI animals are flawless and recapture many iconic scenes from the earlier version (in particular, the fun-filled trio "Hakuna Matata").  Another bonus are some new songs (with Elton John doing the honors during the closing credits).  The movie feels almost like a Disney Nature Film with incredible close-ups and spectacular scenery.  However, while watching "real" as opposed to "animated" animals sing can be a bit disconcerting at first, who am I to nit pick?  If you just believe, it's a wonderful film, full of warmth and (dare, I say it) humanity!   I loved it!