“Mufasa: The Lion King” (2024)
I went into “Mufasa: The Lion King” with some concerns. 2019’s “The Lion King” was a disappointment, and as much as the presence of director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”) excited me, I was nervous how the leap to a big studio production would treat him.
Ava DuVernay experienced a rough jump with Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” but Ryan Coogler fared well with Marvel’s “Black Panther” movies.
The truth is Jenkins’ jump into the Disney world is somewhere in the middle. It is better than the 2019 remake of “The Lion King,” with more emotion and vibrancy integrated into the CGI. It was also fascinating to see a fleshed out background of Mufasa’s story, as he is a beloved character from my childhood.
Much like this fall’s “Moana 2,” though, the songs weren’t very memorable. This was a big disappointment as Lin-Manuel Miranda presumably passed on the “Moana 2” work to create the songs for “Mufasa.” One of the most prolific songwriters of this century (so far), it was disappointing to find the songs here unmemorable.
The most memorable song moment was when Timon (voiced by Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (voiced by Seth Rogen) wind up singing “Hakuna Mufasa” as a joke, a callback to one of the most iconic entries in Disney’s songbook.
The evil white tigers that show up as the main villains of “Mufasa” seem unnecessarily menacing for a children’s film, potentially helped by the casting of Mads Mikkelsen as the voice of Kiros, the big bad.
While “Mufasa” does tell a mostly compelling version of this hero’s origin story, it does not reach the heights of the 1994 version of “The Lion King.” With regular reminders of the original through song cues and iconic imagery, that fact is top-of-mind as you’re watching “Mufasa.”
If you’re looking for a memorable Jenkins film this December, I recommend checking out “The Fire Inside,” which he wrote for first-time director Rachel Morrison. (Review coming soon.)
“Mufasa” is still a solid choice for family fare with older kids this month, but it is a low point in Jenkins’ deservedly lauded career.