Directed By Barry Jenkins

Starring – Aaron Pierre, Kevin Harrison Jr, Tiffany Boone

The Plot – Mufasa (Pierre), a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Harrison Jr), the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.

Rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements

Mufasa: The Lion King | Official Trailer

POSITIVES

Best case scenario for ‘Mufasa’ was that it would surpass the 2019 live action remake of ‘The Lion King’, even if it still paled in comparison to one of the single greatest animated movies of all-time, in the 1994 original, and it succeeds in its mission with the first original story for the franchise in 30 years since its inception. While the exploration can unfortunately be defined by predictability and derivativeness, two aspects that I will go in-depth about a little later, Mufasa’s origin story does explore a compelling angle, particularly in our inability to ever learn much about him in the two predecessors that expunge him from the story quite quickly, with his own conflicts to trauma that tie him to his son Simba in ways that we never would’ve never known, if not for this film. This justifies the existence of ‘Mufasa’ ever seeing the light of day, especially in the unique aspect of it serving simultaneously as both a sequel and prequel to that 2019 original movie, all without ever doing any kind of significant damage to either the continuity or quality of its appeal, to which the same cannot be said for its predecessor. Certainly casting Oscar winning director Barry Jenkins to helm the project went a long way at this, as Jenkins not only contextualizes the unpredictable dangerousness and ferocity of the wild, but also the nobility surrounding his titular protagonist, which perfectly breed him for the throne that was written in the stars. Beyond Mufasa being an honorable protagonist who continuously does the right thing, it’s his combination of fearlessness and resiliency that make him the ultimate leader in any obstacle, with corresponding lessons of growth, responsibility and familial bonds stitched directly into the moral fabric of the movie, to which Jenkins measures with his own sensitivity and gentle confidence in the undertaking of this massive project. Jenkins also improves upon the movie’s imagery, both in the realism of the special effects, and enveloping beauty of the on-site photography, which are both a blessing to experience for how they’re married by similar lighting consistencies that keep one from ever standing out compromisingly from the other. While longtime Jenkins cinematographer James Laxton pitches an exuberantly glowing aura to much of the movie’s imagery, the real story here definitely persists from the photo-realism of the animated character designs, which Disney has taken five years to nearly perfect in both textures and facial registries that have finally attained believability in the perception of their audience. Part of the unanimous issue with the 2019 movie was that these animal characters lacked the kind of bold conveyance of expression that directly hindered emotional resonance over a scene, but here that problem has seemingly been resolved with a far greater detailing of facial registries, particularly in the eyes and muscles around the mouths, which help articulate an emotional significance that takes so many of these personal conflicts pertaining to familial trysts miles with a connective tissue that we can effortlessly feel. It’s certainly not perfect, as camera panning seems to outline evidential dimensions of artificiality in the textures of their designs that are distracting the further the characters stand away from the lens, but they’re far superior to those we saw in 2019, primarily in Jenkins’ confidence to shoot them up close and personal, almost to dare audiences to challenge the changes that have undoubtedly given hope to future Disney live action adaptations involving animal characters. Lastly, it’s great to hear Lin-Manuel Miranda writing the songs for another collective musical, especially after ‘Moana 2’ going bland for not featuring his tracks that inscribe so much personality and insight to the development of its characters. While nothing quite reaches the level of Miranda’s most memorable songs, both in lyrical depth and instrumental versatility, tracks like ‘I Always Wanted a Brother’ and the villainous ‘Bye Bye’ utilize the personalities of the characters in ways the performances rarely ever do, with emotional dexterity that keeps any two of them from feeling similar. Considering there’s surprisingly only six musical numbers in a two hour film, it keeps the gimmick fresh for surprise in the minds of its audience, all the while finding charming ways of tapping infectiously into the commentary of its characters, who also surprisingly each do their own singing.

NEGATIVES

Though a noteworthy improvement on its predecessor, ‘Mufasa’ is still packed with problems that diminish its appeal, primarily in the depths of its original story having audiences unable to shake the memory of its immense shadow. This is because the script and imagery are constantly finding ways to wink towards the audience as they tap into such obvious means of foreshadowing, and while I commend any movie that tries to vividly fill in the gaps of speculation with characters and events between installments, the need to do so here often dwindles the possibility of the movie leaving an impact of its own, especially within an unnecessary framing device that is too intrusive to ever let the story stand on its own. When the film begins, we’re shown that Rafiki is telling this story to Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiana, with Timon and Pumba listening alongside them, and while I’m sure audiences are going to be elated to see such familiar characters, their inclusion here feels purely built on a marketing intention, especially in that these appearances are mere cameos to the big name actors who made up the 2019 ensemble. I would be fine with this captivity if the progress of the storytelling didn’t halt every twenty minutes to cut back to zero in on their reactions, cutting viciously into the movie’s pacing in ways that abruptly rush certain developments during the opening act, while sluggishly meandering others during the middle section of the film. It results in the film failing to find long-term maintained momentum until its monumental climax, and though one will obviously find delight to be had between so many lovable characters inside of a world tied so closely to their childhood nostalgia, it indefensibly feels every inch of its run time, which in itself feels unnecessarily bloated by both the aforementioned framing device and material stretching that are constantly plaguing. If this isn’t enough, the story is heavily plagued by the kind of predictability that anyone will be able to effortlessly sniff out within the film’s opening minutes, based entirely on what little we know about the backstory of Mufasa, and the lack of creative movement that can be drawn from such. I rarely expect plot twists or surprises from a kids movie, especially one with the Disney name attached to it, but it’s clear that they conjured a original story with a complete lack of creative risks assembled, and doing so kept the engagement from leaving any kind of lasting impact to my experience, where not even a talented ensemble can save it from the pits of mediocrity. I previously didn’t mention any of the performances during the positives to make a point about how flat the presence of these actors feel on the integrity of these characters, as with the exception of Mads Mikkelsen enacting seedy sliminess to an antagonist character who only occasionally pops into frame, the entirety of the performances are disappointingly forgettable, with only the musical numbers elevating their intensity to zero in on a pulse. While I don’t think it’s entirely the fault of the actors, as the material often leaves little room for emotional expression, outside of Mufasa, but they’re not exactly blameless either, as they lack any semblance of charismatic radiance that really could’ve brought these characters to life, but instead traded in a bigger than life ensemble for one that feels overwhelmed by the occasion, and the film is all the more conflicted for it.

OVERALL
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ is a roaring creative and technical improvement from its 2019 predecessor, though one still weighed down by the shackles of nostalgia that ultimately and unfortunately confine it from taking any chances towards crafting a legacy of its own. While the five years since have garnered a noteworthy improvement to the movie’s special effects, or meaningfully compassionate direction, other vital ingredients like derivatively predictable material and stagnant performances summarize another uninspired Disney live action effort that pounces without prominence, serving as the safe choice this holiday to gathering families who seek disposably safe cinema in something too familiar to a fault.

My Grade: 6/10 or C