Witness the Rise of The Lion King in ‘Mufasa’
As a child, the Shakespearean core of Disney’s The Lion King wasn’t initially apparent. The tale of two brothers with a clear power imbalance and the son/nephew that gets caught in the crossfire is akin to a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. However, both the animated film and the CGI/live action remake failed to tell us how the relationship between Scar and Mufasa spiraled into the tragic end that scarred Simba and generations of young children. Pun absolutely intended. After years of wondering and filling in the gaps with our imagination, Disney has decided to turn back time and give us the origin story of the King of the Prideland and his jealous brother in Mufasa: The Lion King.
Serving as both a prequel and sequel to the 2019 film, Mufasa: The Lion King bridges the gap between the past and future of this incredible franchise, connecting the circle of life in ways we’ve never seen before. Directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, The Lion King (2019)), Mufasa sees the return of many of the last installments stars, with a few new voices joining the ranks. With the majority of the story exploring the past, Mufasa’s bulk is carried by the extraordinary voice work of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, and Mads Mikkelsen.
You may have thought you knew Mufasa’s story, but in this latest Disney film, audiences will see the rise of The Lion King and the journey it takes to accept that role. It wasn’t at all the story that I was expecting, but instead, something even more magical that I could have imagined.
[Warning: light spoilers from Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King]
A humbling beginning in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King
Thunderstorms can be so scary when you are a young child, a fear that is shared with Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), and Simba’s (Donald Glover) daughter. Left in the care of Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogan) while her parents are away, Kiara is terrified of the storm descending upon Pride Rock. So, to distract her from the thunderous noise and shocking light, Rafiki (John Kani) tells the young princess a story about one of the greatest Lion Kings ever: her grandfather, Mufasa (James Earl Jones).
But it’s not exactly the story you would expect from animal kingdom royalty; instead, the story of the eventual king begins with tragedy. Orphaned due to a flood, Mufasa (Braelyn and Brielle Rankins) floats down a river of sorrows into the lives of Taka (Theo Somolu), a lion that later becomes known as Scar, and his mother Eshe (Thandiwe Newton).
Mufasa bonds with the Queen and young prince immediately; however, as an outsider to this new Pride, he’s shunned by the rest. Forced to live amongst the lionesses, he’s treated like a pariah well into his young adult years until a danger, unlike the pride has ever seen, comes knocking at their proverbial door. A collection of lions with fur as pure white as fresh snow are prowling for victims, with their eyes on Mufasa (Pierre), Taka (Harrison Jr.), and the rest of their pack. Narrowly escaping, these two brothers set off to find safety while the new pride of white lions, led by the intimidating Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), begins their hunt.
Disney makes vast improvements from the 2019 film
Perhaps it is time for a moment of candor: I wasn’t excited to see Mufasa: The Lion King. I wasn’t a fan of the 2019 live-action remake of the classic animated film, so I didn’t expect much from this prequel/sequel. Most in my social circle, including myself, described the first one as devoid of emotion and failing to capture what made the one from our childhood great. Sure, it was the same story, but there was something off about the mixture of CGI animals and the voice acting that accompanied them.
Going into this film, it felt more like something I had to cover for the site instead of a film I was truly looking forward to. However, within moments of beginning Mufasa, my lack of excitement course-corrected, and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of the film. It felt like Disney looked at all the complaints from Mufasa’s predecessor and decided to make it right for this film. The CGI felt leagues above The Lion King’s, perfectly blending the voice work of the actors with the mouths and facial expressions of the animals.
There wasn’t a moment in this film where it felt like the actors were calling their performances in; although that’s difficult to say if this cast of voices was better than the first film or if the movie was just more integrated than the first. Either way, the CGI and cast worked so much better in Mufasa than 2019’s The Lion King, that you can easily get lost in the story, which was also just on another level.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like the original story, as The Lion King is one of the best Disney films ever. That being said, Mufasa: The Lion King’s story felt even more epic in every single way. This is the tale of two unlikely brothers and how their story develops into the rivaling siblings we see in The Lion King.
Knowing where the story ends usually limits a film’s narrative, but Mufasa uses the early years of Scar and Mufasa’s lives uniquely, playing in a sandbox that we didn’t even know we needed. It provides perspectives that were only hinted at in the original, creating a more well-developed narrative between these two lions and why Scar hates Mufasa so much.
Sure, perhaps the switch from Taka to Scar happened quickly to some, as that seems to be a common complaint on the internet; however, if you look at it from a psychological perspective, it wasn’t so out of pocket. Taka was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth and lacked any courage in true Wizard of Oz fashion. He was expected to lead the Pride when he was of age and never thought any differently until Mufasa accidentally challenged that. Mufasa is a natural-born leader, everything Scar isn’t, which causes tension to rise quickly, especially when Taka thinks he is losing the only grasp of control that he had.
This dynamic was intoxicating to watch unfold on screen. Major props have to be given to Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. because, without them, I don’t think Mufasa: The Lion King would be anywhere near as magnificent. These two actors made this Disney film a work of art, as the sprawling tale of brothers to enemies comes to a crashing conclusion.
There’s also something special to this film, which I noted was lacking from Moana 2: Lin Manuel Miranda’s presence. Whether you like Lin Manuel Miranda or not, there’s no denying that these songs have a specific energy, making the projects he works on unique. His trademark way with words and music was apparent in all the songs of Mufasa, which had the entire audience bouncing along with. The songs were in the same vein as the original but gave Mufasa a feel of its own, bringing new fans into the fold without alienating the old.
Mufasa: The Lion King is a must see in theaters
There are some times when you hope that you’re wrong about your preconceived notions about a film before seeing it, and this is one of those times. Mufasa exceeded every expectation I had for it. The voice acting was incredible, the story was engaging, and there’s no denying the power that Disney has when it comes to creating family films. So, if you haven’t checked it out in theaters yet, I implore you to give it a go, and good luck getting the songs out of your head.
Mufasa: The Lion King is currently in theaters! Have you seen it yet? Did you enjoy it? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or @boxseatbabes!
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