Mufasa serves as a prequel to the live-action remake of The Lion King, and it has the same problems as that movie. It tries to use photorealistic animation to bring the characters to life, but the results are marginally effective, and that proves to be the movie’s Achilles’ heel.
The movie starts with the baboon Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa telling the story of Mufasa’s rise as the Lion King to Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter).
When we get into the story, we’re told that Mufasa was born to a family of lions who tell him about a land called Milele. However, danger strikes when a flood wipes away their homeland, and the young Mufasa is later discovered by another family of lions, particularly a young cub called Taka, who later grows up to become the villain Scar.
Taka’s family refuses to take in Mufasa and only sees him as a stranger, but if he can win a race against Scar, he’ll be welcomed into the family. Twenty bonus points if you can see how this plot thread ends.
Mufasa and Taka quickly form a bond that only grows stronger as they get older. The adult versions are voiced by Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Their strengths are put to the test when a group of white lions known as the Outsiders invade their territory. Mads Mikkelsen is the voice of Kiros, the ruthless leader.
Director Barry Jenkins knows how to use impressive landscapes to fit the action, such as the aforementioned flood sequence. We get some impressive shots of the plains and even some snowy mountains, which are the few bright spots of the movie. Plus, when the lions are in the thick of the action, their facial expressions and movements are convincing. However, in the dialogue scenes, the characters lack presence and their expressions come across as flat. Efforts to make them appear real produce the uncanny valley effect.
Also, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs don’t quite have the same impact as Tim Rice’s work did. “I Always Wanted a Brother” and “Tell Me It’s You” are perhaps the standouts, but other than those, the musical numbers are pretty forgettable. That’s how I felt about much of Mufasa.
I didn’t think the live-action remake was all that impressive, and this prequel follows the same pattern with diminishing returns.
Grade: C+
(Rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements.)
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