Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel/sequel story of a young cub with a large destiny. While her parents Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) are away, young Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) listens to a story. Orated by Rafiki (John Kani), Timon (Billy Eichner), and Pumbaa (Seth Rogan), they tell the tale of young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre)—Kiara’s grandfather and previous king. As a young lion, Mufasa was crossing the arid plains when he unexpectedly got separated from his parents. Soon after, he was discovered and saved by another young cub, Taka. Despite being a stray, Taka’s family accepts Mufasa into their pride, raising him as their own. Taka and Mufasa grow up together as brothers. All is peaceful until an aggressive pack of lions known as The Outsiders begin conquering all the lands, forcing Taka and Mufasa to make some hard decisions.
What works in Mufasa: The Lion King are the visuals and the score. The photorealistic technology to create the animals is leaps and bounds above previous attempts to bring the lions and friends to life. Their emotions feel far less robotic than 2019’s Lion King. This helps audiences connect more easily with the characters. Furthermore, the cinematography by James Laxton (Moonlight) is luscious and breathtaking. Laxton embraces the diverse topography of Africa with wide sweeping shots of gorgeous grasslands and snowcapped mountains. These scenes are even more stirring when combined with Nicholas Britell’s (Succession) sweeping score that integrates elements from the previous film.
RELATED: Disney Unveils New Trailer For “Mufasa: The Lion King” At D23, Showcasing Star-Studded Cast
Individuals who don’t appreciate prequels that overexplain narrative aspects from its original material may not enjoy Mufasa: The Lion King as much as others. In nearly every scene, director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) seemingly wants to answer questions about The Lion King that are unnecessary to address. In addition, Mufasa: The Lion King’s pacing may frustrate some. At times, the story moves too fast—Taka declares Mufasa his brother for life mere seconds after a chance encounter. Then suddenly, it moves too slow. This latter feeling may be because the songs feel a lot more laborious and repetitive than the masterpieces found on the 1994 soundtrack. As such, Mufasa: The Lion King often feels disjointed and unnecessary.
Mufasa: The Lion King is visually stunning and often an orchestral delight. Unfortunately, an overcooked script with unfocused characters hinders the overall experience.
Recommended if you enjoyed: The Lion King (2019), The Jungle Book (2016), Aladdin (2019)
Mufasa: The Lion King is available to see in theaters beginning on December 20th.
FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS
Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoG, Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube!
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
