Product Info

Studio

Disney

Director

Barry Jenkins

Genre

Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Musical

Rated

PG

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Dec 20, 2024

Film Length

2hr

Purchase From

Mufasa: The Lion King is the prequel to the live-action 2019 film The Lion King. Despite the mixed audience views toward the earlier film, Mufasa does a better job and will surprise viewers with its story and interesting songs.

Before Pride Rock

© 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mufasa takes place years before The Lion King and tells the story of Mufasa and his adventure as he meets Taka (Scar), Rafiki, Sarabi, and Zazu. Before diving into the prequel story, the movie begins with Kiara, the daughter of Simba, being babysat by Timon and Pumbaa after the events of The Lion King. The three meet with Rafiki, the mandrill who played a large part in the previous film, who tells the story of Mufasa. It’s a good segway, but the telling is interrupted multiple times by Timon and Pumbaa in the first half of the film. It’s as if Disney is unwilling or unable to let Mufasa’s more serious story speak for itself and provide its own humor. Either way, the continual reliance on them for laughs is more annoying than anything.

Mufasa’s story starts with him as a cub with his parents as they travel to a new land to live, but a tragic accident splits them apart. Mufasa, almost eaten by a crocodile, is saved by a cub named Taka. Taka, the prince to his tribe, is able to persuade his father to have Mufasa join them. Although Taka is ecstatic to have Mufasa as a brother, Taka’s father, the king of their tribe, feels differently about the newcomer. Mufasa, labeled as a stray, cannot be around the males and must stay with the female lions. However, this works to Mufasa’s advantage as he picks up hunting skills, whereas the males are portrayed as lazy guards. These skills become very useful in his upcoming adventure.

The audience is introduced to a new antagonist, Kiros, a large, white lion. Kiros controls a powerful pride of white lions that can ruthlessly defeat any lion or anyone else who would go against them. After a surprise attack while hunting, Mufasa defeats Kiros’s son, and together with Taka, flees from Kiros.

Thanks to how popular The Lion King was when it was first animated in 1994 and also when it was remade in live-action, the prequel has a good leg to stand on when it comes to some of the characters and story points. Does that make it easier for this movie? Yes and no. The movie could have gone terribly wrong, but it thankfully doesn’t.

There are many references to The Lion King such as Taka grabbing onto Mufasa’s paws when Mufasa’s on the ledge and running around. Moments like these do offer some of that Lion King magic that made the original animated film so special.

Listen and Bye Bye

© 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The music in Mufasa has some great vocal tracks such as “Bye Bye”, “I Always Wanted a Brother” and “We Go Together”. “Bye Bye” is a dark, upbeat track that’s sung by Mads Mikkelsen, the voice of Kiros. It provides a similar vibe to “Be Prepared” from The Lion King but is not as powerful. The other two tracks are upbeat and fun. Kids will surely enjoy these tracks. Meanwhile, the instrumental scores are quite strong. From the elephant stampede to the final battle, Mufasa has some great tracks that lift the story further.

Visually speaking, it’s of no surprise that the animals and their mouth movements are all done with computer effects. Although much smoother and better than in the 2019 Lion King, it feels like there could be more improvement with the facial expressions and mouth movements.

For how good the story and music is, despite the constant interruptions by Timon and Pumbaa early on, it really feels like Mufasa would have been a better film to release than a remake of the original Lion King. It’s possible that the general view of this film would have been much more positive if that were the case.

The Final Roar

Call me surprised in a good way. Mufasa: The Lion King is actually a good prequel with a solid soundtrack. Regardless of what people felt about the 2019 live-action Lion King, this movie delivers a worthwhile viewing experience for new and old fans alike. Be proud!

An early screening provided for this review. Mufasa: The Lion King hits theaters on Friday, November 20, 2024. Fans can visit the official website for tickets.