by Josh Sewell
Mufasa: The Lion King continues the modern tradition of unnecessary Disney updates, changing the formula slightly by making the film a prequel bookended by a superfluous mini sequel. Like most prequels, there are no stakes – viewers already know the story’s outcome. What’s more, the status quo can’t change in the “present day” section of the narrative. Shareholders won’t stand for that since heroic characters must remain unimpeachable for the sake of long-term reputation and toy sales.
In this follow-up to 2019’s The Lion King remake, Rafiki (John Kani) recounts the legend of Mufasa’s childhood and rise to power with a little help from Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). The story introduces Mufasa (Braelyn Rankins and Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub who is saved by another young lion named Taka (Theo Somolu and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) who is the heir to a royal bloodline. Their chance meeting sets in motion a pivotal journey that will affect both of their lives forever.
While Mufasa has no reason to exist other than boosting Disney’s bottom line, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt since I’m a huge admirer of filmmaker Barry Jenkins. I mean, c’mon: the guy directed the masterpieces Moonlight and The Underground Railroad, as well as the “just” excellent If Beale Street Could Talk. Considering the financial proceeds of those works are probably minimal, I don’t blame him for trying his hand at a massive blockbuster and cashing a Mickey-sized paycheck.
Unfortunately, it’s abundantly clear Jenkins’ artistic brilliance is butting heads with impossible corporate restraints throughout the flick’s excessive 120-minute running time. Parts of Mufasa are solid, particularly the visual effects that have vastly improved since Jon Favreau’s photorealistic but emotionless remake. At least the animals have facial expressions this time around.
The origin story at the film’s center, while basic and predictable, is somewhat interesting thanks to Jenkins bringing a The Godfather, Part II-esque sense of inevitability and dread to Jeff Nathanson’s otherwise by-the-numbers screenplay. I know that’s a blasphemous comparison, but the dynamic between young Mufasa and Taka (who will eventually become Scar) seems to take a lot of inspiration from that iconic film’s depiction of Vito’s early days and the tragic, poignant relationship between Michael and Fredo.
I’m not saying Mufasa is on that level of quality – far from it. Instead, these elements suggest how much better the movie could’ve been if Disney trusted Jenkins to bring his unique sensibility to the story, instead of forcing him to check a bunch of boxes for the sake of marketing and merchandising.
That’s where the film’s biggest stumble comes in: the awful present-day segments, in which Pumbaa and Timon crack wise while Rafiki tells Simba’s daughter (Blue Ivy Carter) about her grandfather. In addition to being tedious and painfully unfunny, they’re pointless from a narrative standpoint (other than reminding older viewers of 2004’s direct to video sequel The Lion King 1½).
Maybe I’m giving Jenkins the benefit of the doubt, but those scenes scream studio interference. I can almost hear the complaints from execs:
“This story’s too dark – it needs more fart jokes!”
“Where are Donald Glover and Beyoncé?”
“Why isn’t anybody singing ‘Hakuna Matata’ or other songs we know?”
Speaking of music, that’s another big misstep in Mufasa. We’re used to Lin-Manuel Miranda adding classics to the Disney canon thanks to his contributions to Moana and Encanto (not to mention his magnum opus Hamilton, which is mandatory viewing on Disney Plus). I even assumed his absence from the credits of Moana 2 helped to explain why those songs stink. That’s why I’m disappointed to report the few songs that pop up in this flick are either forgettable or derivative.
There’s one more choice in Mufasa that’s a bit annoying: while Pierre and Harrison are both outstanding actors, their casting confuses me. The former is a British guy doing an American accent as Mufasa, while the latter is an American doing a British accent as Taka. So why did Jenkins decide to cast them in that specific way rather than flip their roles? It’s a curious choice that acts as a metaphor representing the overall weird nature of the flick.
Despite the overwhelming number of flaws in Mufasa, Jenkins’ artistic sensibilities and his valiant battle against corporate interference nevertheless make it an intriguing watch. While I can’t say I’m a fan, it’s most certainly an entry worth studying in the ongoing filmography of a literal genius.
Mufasa: The Lion King is rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements. Opens in theaters on December 20.
Grade: C+
In this follow-up to 2019’s The Lion King remake, Rafiki (John Kani) recounts the legend of Mufasa’s childhood and rise to power with a little help from Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). The story introduces Mufasa (Braelyn Rankins and Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub who is saved by another young lion named Taka (Theo Somolu and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) who is the heir to a royal bloodline. Their chance meeting sets in motion a pivotal journey that will affect both of their lives forever.
While Mufasa has no reason to exist other than boosting Disney’s bottom line, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt since I’m a huge admirer of filmmaker Barry Jenkins. I mean, c’mon: the guy directed the masterpieces Moonlight and The Underground Railroad, as well as the “just” excellent If Beale Street Could Talk. Considering the financial proceeds of those works are probably minimal, I don’t blame him for trying his hand at a massive blockbuster and cashing a Mickey-sized paycheck.
Unfortunately, it’s abundantly clear Jenkins’ artistic brilliance is butting heads with impossible corporate restraints throughout the flick’s excessive 120-minute running time. Parts of Mufasa are solid, particularly the visual effects that have vastly improved since Jon Favreau’s photorealistic but emotionless remake. At least the animals have facial expressions this time around.
The origin story at the film’s center, while basic and predictable, is somewhat interesting thanks to Jenkins bringing a The Godfather, Part II-esque sense of inevitability and dread to Jeff Nathanson’s otherwise by-the-numbers screenplay. I know that’s a blasphemous comparison, but the dynamic between young Mufasa and Taka (who will eventually become Scar) seems to take a lot of inspiration from that iconic film’s depiction of Vito’s early days and the tragic, poignant relationship between Michael and Fredo.
I’m not saying Mufasa is on that level of quality – far from it. Instead, these elements suggest how much better the movie could’ve been if Disney trusted Jenkins to bring his unique sensibility to the story, instead of forcing him to check a bunch of boxes for the sake of marketing and merchandising.
That’s where the film’s biggest stumble comes in: the awful present-day segments, in which Pumbaa and Timon crack wise while Rafiki tells Simba’s daughter (Blue Ivy Carter) about her grandfather. In addition to being tedious and painfully unfunny, they’re pointless from a narrative standpoint (other than reminding older viewers of 2004’s direct to video sequel The Lion King 1½).
Maybe I’m giving Jenkins the benefit of the doubt, but those scenes scream studio interference. I can almost hear the complaints from execs:
“This story’s too dark – it needs more fart jokes!”
“Where are Donald Glover and Beyoncé?”
“Why isn’t anybody singing ‘Hakuna Matata’ or other songs we know?”
Speaking of music, that’s another big misstep in Mufasa. We’re used to Lin-Manuel Miranda adding classics to the Disney canon thanks to his contributions to Moana and Encanto (not to mention his magnum opus Hamilton, which is mandatory viewing on Disney Plus). I even assumed his absence from the credits of Moana 2 helped to explain why those songs stink. That’s why I’m disappointed to report the few songs that pop up in this flick are either forgettable or derivative.
There’s one more choice in Mufasa that’s a bit annoying: while Pierre and Harrison are both outstanding actors, their casting confuses me. The former is a British guy doing an American accent as Mufasa, while the latter is an American doing a British accent as Taka. So why did Jenkins decide to cast them in that specific way rather than flip their roles? It’s a curious choice that acts as a metaphor representing the overall weird nature of the flick.
Despite the overwhelming number of flaws in Mufasa, Jenkins’ artistic sensibilities and his valiant battle against corporate interference nevertheless make it an intriguing watch. While I can’t say I’m a fan, it’s most certainly an entry worth studying in the ongoing filmography of a literal genius.
Mufasa: The Lion King is rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements. Opens in theaters on December 20.
Grade: C+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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