Mufasa: The Lion King review

MUFASA: THE LION KING: 

PREQUEL TO 2019 DISNEY REMAKE MAKES AN UNIMPRESSIVE ROAR! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

DISNEY

Mufasa before King in Mufasa: The Lion King

 

            The Circle of Life is back with a story that’s never been told in Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to Disney’s 2019 photorealistic remake of their beloved animated classic, The Lion King. I don’t think I need to give my thoughts on the original 1994 hand-drawn version of The Lion King as I’ve already done that in my review of the 2019 remake so I’d rather not repeat myself here. 

            I did not enjoy the 2019 Lion King very much and declared it the worst of the Disney remakes as it was literally the exact same movie again except soulless and lacking the charm with little to nothing new added to it. Despite mixed reactions from critics, it was a massive success and became the highest-grossing animated film of all time and held the place until Pixar’s Inside Out 2 dethroned it this year. 

            Now, we have a prequel to the 2019 Lion King about Simba’s father, Mufasa’s origin that also serves as a semi-continuation as it does feature Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara and Rafiki telling the film’s story to her, Timon and Pumbaa. The film is directed by Barry Jenkins (Medicine for Melancholy, Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) and features songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Encanto) who are both massively talented given their credentials. 

            Despite my thoughts on the 2019 film, I was somewhat curious about Mufasa when it was coming out though it was not high on my radar as my eyes were on a much more exciting film about talking animals that was released the same day. I still wanted to discuss this film even if Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was a far bigger priority for me. 

            On the plus side, I can say Mufasa: The Lion King is better than the 2019 Lion King movie, but it’s a very average and rather shallow origin to the mighty king of the Pride Lands and his devious adoptive brother. It didn’t anger me as I was watching it nor did it give me any extreme emotions, I honestly felt nothing but indifference during my viewing. 

            The film follows Rafiki (voiced by John Kani-Coriolanus, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Murder Mystery 1 and 2) telling Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara (voiced by Blue Ivy Carter-Black Is King, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé), Timon (voiced by Billy Eichner-The Angry Birds Movie, Noelle, Bros), and Pumbaa (voiced by Seth Rogen-This is the End, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) the story of her late grandfather and outsider lion turned king, Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre-Krypton, Old, Foe) and his adoptive brother, Taka (voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr.-It Comes at Night, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Chevalier) who would eventually be known as Scar. The movie shows Mufasa as a cub getting separated from his family after a horrible flood, befriending Taka and forming a strong friendship turned brotherhood, and the two of them embarking on a journey that leads them to cross their respective paths. 

            The film also features the voices of Tiffany Boone (Beautiful Creatures, The Chi, Hunters) as Sarabi, Donald Glover (The Martian, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Solo: A Star Wars Story) reprising his role as the voice of Simba, Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton (Crash, 2012, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget) as Eshe, Lennie James (Snatch, The Walking Dead, Blade Runner 2049) as Obasi, Beyoncé (Austin Powers in Goldmember, Dreamgirls, Black is King) reprising her role as the voice of Nala, Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls, The Princess and the Frog, Injustice) as Afia, and Keith David (Gargoyles, Spawn, The Princess and the Frog) as Masego. 

            Overall, Mufasa: The Lion King is already a step up from The Lion King (2019) in terms of storytelling because it doesn’t rehash the same plot as the original except worse, but as a prequel focused on Mufasa and Scar’s friendship turned rivalry, it’s painfully generic and not very memorable once it ends. I wouldn’t say this movie is terrible, but it’s so mediocre and pretty dull aside from whenever there’s a song sequence. 

            I will give the film credit that the photorealistic animation here is a lot better than in the 2019 film with the animal characters being able to emote more this time around. It’s not to the levels of the motion-capture apes from the recent Planet of the Apes films or the Na’vi from Avatar, but I’m glad the filmmakers listened to some of the criticisms people had with the last movie and tried to improve upon it thus making it a slightly better experience. 

            The songs are actually pretty catchy and they never feel like this movie’s versions of popular Lion King songs, they’re very energized and the musical numbers while obviously a step down from the vibrant hand-drawn animated film bring a lot of liveliness to a mostly shallow movie. 

            The voice acting is decent with Aaron Pierre giving a unique look at the Mufasa character before he becomes the mighty James Earl Jones-voiced king of Pride Rock as this vulnerable outsider who rises to the occasion during his journey. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is an underrated actor IMO and as the voice of the lion who would eventually become Scar, I thought he did fine as both a loving brother and jealous nemesis to Mufasa. 

            The movie also feels the need to explain the origins of things we probably don’t need an origin for like where Rafiki’s stick came from or how Pride Rock was formed. I guess maybe if you’re a Lion King superfan you might appreciate those details, but as a casual moviegoer these details are nowhere near as interesting as the film probably intended. 

            I don’t know guys, Mufasa: The Lion King is a movie that exists and is perfectly inoffensive. Children might like it fine, but I don’t see many people going back to this movie especially with far more entertaining family fare out in theaters now. 

            If there’s one movie that just came out I’m recommending to kids and families, it’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 because that is easily the movie kids would want to go see again and again (Heck, it’s already having that effect on me as an adult). This is more like the movie the parents choose as a last-minute family outing if you got nothing better to do. 

            Despite some pretty visuals and decent songs, Mufasa: The Lion King is an unremarkable prequel that’s better than the 2019 movie, but it still makes you wish you were watching the original hand-drawn Lion King instead.  Oh well, that’s the Circle of Life for ya!