Mufasa: The Lion King review: Disney's live-action prequel is a rather uninspiring thing

Mufasa: The Lion King, as its title suggests, is the story of Simba’s father, the great and noble king of the pride lands.

But it could equally be subtitled: how Rafiki got his stick, how Scar got his scar, or even how an earthquake created Pride Rock — as consumed as it is with giving every leaf of grass in The Lion King universe an origin story.

Admittedly, the Rafiki stick moment is charming, but as these moments mount, so does the ludicrousness of Disney’s attempts to over-explain Simba’s world. Not everything needs a backstory, a lesson that Disney could use right about now. (At this point, I’m expecting the forthcoming Snow White live-action film to include a scene where her late mother plants some apple trees).

When the story begins, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) is still a cub, beloved by his parents, until a flash flood separates them and leaves Mufasa to fend for himself in the world. He befriends Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who rescues him from a crocodile. He then finds himself under the protection of Taka’s mother, Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), despite King Obasi’s (Lennie James) protestations that they don’t take in “strays.”

When a power-hungry pack of white lions led by Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) seeks to eliminate every pride who stands in their way, Mufasa and Taka are forced on the run, teaming up with Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), who becomes the focal point of a love triangle between the adoptive brothers. While searching for the fabled paradise of Milele, they also encounter younger versions of Zazu (Preston Nyman) and Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga).

All of this is bookended with the elder Rafiki (John Kani) telling Mufasa’s story to Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), the daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter). Of course, Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) are there for some extremely strained comic relief. This is an attempt to give audiences a familiar frame of reference, but it’s more jarring and distracting than anything else.

The main criticism of the Disney live-action films has always been their purpose for existing, which often is cynically reduced to a money grab by a studio cashing in on their most beloved I.P. Certainly, Jon Favreau’s 2019 version of The Lion King was one of the worst offenders in this case, offering a nearly shot-for-shot remake of the superior animated original.

Mufasa, however, seemed to offer hope for a new horizon in which familiar characters could be repurposed in new stories (one could call it the circle of life). Particularly because director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) is respected as one of the most vital and interesting directors working in Hollywood today. Sadly, it doesn’t live up to that promise.

Much of the film is a retread of the original Lion King with new versions of characters placed in recognizable circumstances. Homage and reference are expected, but they’re overused to a dismaying degree here. The opening flood, down to the way Mufasa clings to a tree branch and calls for his father, is a direct parallel to the wildebeest stampede that will eventually take the elder Mufasa’s life. Jenkins offers slight variations on the camera angles and set-ups of such touchpoints (but by the third time that Mufasa, Sarabi, etc. are clinging to a branch in this fashion, it becomes more cliché than creative).

There are fun, winking nods, particularly how Taka’s rescue of Mufasa from the river, as he digs his claws into the cub, mirrors the exact actions of Scar’s murder of Mufasa in The Lion King. But the film never rises past its desire to prove its own cleverness. Worse, Jeff Nathanson’s script backs itself into corners trying to retcon its storytelling (you’re seriously telling me that Scar’s villainy all traces back to being jealous over a girl?! Yes, incels are a menace, but c’mon. Taka can stay in Milele, but Simba will never say his name again? Okay, sure). 

Jenkins is a gifted visual artist, and he brings that ingenuity here, spinning and swirling his camera through a kaleidoscope of stunning vistas, startling close-ups, and intense action scenes. It’s more compelling than the stagnant energy of Favreau’s The Lion King, but at times, it feels almost frenzied, as if Jenkins is desperate to prove he can do something interesting with the material.

The film is stunning to look at; its computer-generated lions and pridelands are a realistic sight to behold, bursting with natural beauty. It’s clear that technology has advanced significantly even since 2019, and it means the film has a more robust and varied world in which to play. The visual effects and animation teams scale a monumental peak here, and their work, at least, is worthy of praise.

But Nathanson’s screenplay is a spiral of ever-increasing peril, as Mufasa and his slowly acquired pals must face a flood, multiple crocodile attacks, an elephant stampede, an avalanche, and even an earthquake. The Lion King wisely left the wildebeest stampede as its dangerous centerpiece, while Mufasa muddies the waters with too many set pieces that nullify rather than raise the stakes.

The voice actors deserve their flowers for their performances, breathing life into the story. Mikkelsen is particularly chilling as the villain, Kiros, employing his sinister silver tongue to great effect (imagine if Hannibal Lecter was a lion). Pierre has the monumental task of following in the pawprints of James Earl Jones, but he rises to the challenge admirably, infusing his Mufasa with a vigorous energy without ever losing Mufasa’s inherent regal gravitas. 

Indeed, Boone, Harrison, Lediga, and Nyman all do a superb job of blending elements of their characters’ elder counterparts with their own fresh takes. Lediga, in particular, amps up Rafiki’s wise whimsy, showing the mandrill’s playfulness at a more youthful full bore. 

The other piece of this puzzle is, of course, the music with new original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda has become Disney’s go-to composer in the years since Hamilton, bringing his signature style of old-school musical theater mashed up with contemporary hip-hop flair. But Mufasa is a lackluster outing from the songsmith, with no memorable tracks to speak of. There are lyrical and musical nods to songs like “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” but nothing that grabs hold of you the way much of Miranda's other work does. Perhaps it’s simply that he and Jenkins don’t necessarily share an ethos (where Miranda is bright, earnest, and playful, Jenkins tends toward more melancholy introspection). But whatever the issue, it’s a disappointing collection of bland numbers.

Mufasa’s weaknesses are further laid bare by its use of original material from The Lion King. The most stirring segments of the movie employ the familiar motifs of Hans Zimmer’s original score, which remains the crowning achievement of Disney animation compositions. Perhaps most telling is that the film’s opening use of James Earl Jones’ dialogue about the ancestors looking down on us (and a title card dedicating the film to the late actor's memory) is the peak of the movie’s emotional effectiveness.

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As a lifelong lover of Disney, I’m not so jaded as to think that there’s not potential to be mined in these beloved characters (go watch The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride on Disney+; it’s a banger with a far more rousing soundtrack). But Mufasa doesn’t offer the iconic character a story worthy of his eminence. “Remember who you are,” Mufasa tells Simba, but it seems like perhaps Disney has forgotten that themselves and instead fallen victim to their own pride. Grade: C+