MUFASA: THE LION KING -- Doubling Down

Review by Adam Donato

2024 sees the release of a franchise film made with computer animation. A prequel that explains the origin of the relationship between the main leader and villain of the franchise. Of course, we’re talking about Transformers One. A film that was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, but absolutely floundered at the box office. A few months later, a very similar film came out called Mufasa: The Lion King. A film that’s likely to make a billion dollars, despite middling reviews. The remake of The Lion King is the tenth highest grossing movie of all time. Only a couple of months ago, an unnecessary continuation of a billion dollar movie came out in the form of Joker: Folie a Deux. That audience is a lot more particular with the quality of the film than the parents that will be when choosing what movie to take the family to see in theaters on Christmas Day this year. Look at last month’s release of Moana 2. A sequel that is inferior in every way possible to the original, but is going to go on to be the highest grossing animated movie of all time. Mufasa: The Lion King stole Lin Manuel Miranda from the Moana sequel and recruited acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins to helm the film. Is this influx of talent enough to overcome the clear conceptual problems with this prequel?

Absolutely not. Barry Jenkins should go straight to jail. Do not pass go, but do collect a hefty paycheck. The hack claimed directing this project was not just a paycheck, but a week before release was quoted saying he doesn’t prefer this style of filmmaking and would like to return to smaller, more real projects. Great thing to say to get folks butts in seats this holiday season. Jenkins influence on the film is nonexistent. Mufasa: The Lion King could’ve just as easily been directed by Peyton Reed and most people wouldn’t notice the difference. The visual style of the film is still disgusting. There’s an effort to accentuate the facial expressions of the animals in the film compared to last time, but the problem remains the same. Making a musical with expressionless characters is a total contradiction. While competing holiday film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has main characters defined by bright contemporary colors, Mufasa’s characters are different shades of gray and brown. Now Jenkins didn’t invent the style of the film as he was hired to continue the look of the franchise. Nobody should feel bad for Jenkins though. He knew the paycheck would come with baggage. Take away his Oscar and don’t give it back until he makes three more real movies that have actual artistic integrity.

Speaking of paychecks, Lin Manuel Miranda works more relentlessly than his popular stage character Hamilton. If he continues down this path, he may reach the same fate. The songs from Mufasa: The Lion King range from forgettable to laughable. Bye Bye is the most embarrassing moment of Mads Mikkelsen’s career. The villain song being so goofy totally contradicts everything else we see from his character as he’s a strictly serious force. The song from the trailer “I Always Wanted a Brother” starts out very catchy, but then the repeating of how the kids sing “brotha” gets funny quick. “We Go Together” does a lot of the heavy lifting with establishing the dynamic of the group, which overall feels rushed. Milele and Tell Me It’s You are both sweet, but don’t entirely hit home. Honestly, Moana 2 is looking much better after seeing Mufasa: The Lion King. 

Similar narratives of the film have been executed more efficiently this year. Transformers One has multiple moments where the weight of the inherent betrayal hits hard. Mufasa fails to stick the landing on a relationship that is the soul of this movie. They played it safe and so there’s nothing to feel invested in. It all just feels cheap, rushed, and obligatory. The structure of the narrative is annoyingly intercut with scenes of Timon and Pumbaa making bad jokes as Rafiki tells the story to Kiara. The runtime is exactly two hours and what should feel like an epic narrative feels rushed. The Lion King 1 ½ being remade was an idea that was flirted with recently. Let Timon and Pumbaa shine there. Mufasa needs as much time as he can get. The film also relies heavily on references to the first movie. Remember this? This is how this character got this object! That type of lazy crap. There’s ingredients for a good movie in here, but the final product is not worth it. 

Disney opted not to take the criticism from the first movie and instead ran it back. The glaring faults of the film will be hidden by brand recognition and general inoffensiveness. Families will flock to Mufasa: The Lion King. The franchise will continue and paychecks will be cashed. The only hope is that these “artists” take their earned money and use it to make something new. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens in theaters on the exact same day. See that instead. 

Mufasa: The Lion King is in theaters on December 20. 

Rating: 1/5