The "Live-Action" The Lion King (there's actually only 1 real shot in the whole movie apparently) remake was everything the Aladdin remake was not.
It was an almost perfect shot-for-shot, sound-for-sound recreation that only deviated from the source material when it had something materially better to say or do.
Those deviations were almost uniformly brilliant and made the overall story better.
In particular, I noticed and really appreciated how they...
1. Improved/fleshed out the core motivations of Scar and The Hyaenas (control over the hunting grounds).
2. Better explained why Scar's rule resulted in an imbalance in the circle of life (over-hunting vs. maintaining the delicate balance)
3. Highlighted how Timone and Pumbas's nihilistic world view differed from the principles of interdependence and duty that Mufasa tried to teach his son. ("Simba, it's not a circle, it's a line - and we all come to the end of it. Nothing matters")
4. Made Nala a more pro-active character. In particular, I liked the way they showed how leaving the Pridelands and finding Simba came at considerable risk (by showing her departure and the threats she had to navigate)
5. Illustrated the connectedness of things (the theme of the movie) by showing the sequence of events that lead to Grafiki finding Simba's hair. (rather than the mystical "smelled it on the air" approach in the cartoon).
6. Gave the secondary characters more agency (and resulting hero moments) in the final battle.
7. Tidied up the 'Royal blood-line" "Devine right" themes by making it about leadership as service vs. leadership by "might makes right".
Perhaps the only criticism from me is that the realistic nature of the animation didn't always allow for the full range of emotions needed to convey the gravity of some of the situations. That being said, I'm not ashamed to admit that certain parts had me tearing up.
What's more, I really think the two movies stand on their own as distinct works of art. The remake is perhaps a little darker and more realistic - making it better for older audiences. I can't wait to show my kids the cartoon and then the remake when they are a little older.
There is ultimately only 1 story to tell. Who. Are. You?
Must watch.