Of all the films in Disney’s seemingly endless onslaught of live-action remakes, there isn’t a film I dislike more than 2019’s The Lion King. Some would argue that the film doesn’t even count as live-action, but let’s not get into that debate again. Is it the worst live-action remake the House of Mouse has ever produced? I don’t think so, but it’s without a doubt the craziest thing. The fact that the phrase “2019 The Lion King“Even existing is a problem in itself, as the 1994 2D animated original is widely praised as a timeless masterpiece that in no way warrants a remake. While I’m not saying it’s entirely impossible to make a good remake of a timeless masterpiece, the 2019 version’s insistence on being a borderline frame-for-frame sequel without the visual splendor the original was known for officially takes the crown away from him in 1998 Psycho as the most unnecessary remake of all time.

Regardless of what I or you think about the 2019 remake, the film still grossed over $1.5 billion at the box office, so a sequel was all but inevitable. Rather than making a direct sequel and possible adaptation of The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (one of the better films from Disney’s direct-to-video sequel era), Disney decided to make a prequel based on Simba’s (Donald Glover) father with Mufasa: The Lion King. In theory, it’s a far from terrible idea, as the titular lion originally expressed by the late Great One James Earl Jones is one of Disney’s best supporting characters, even though he doesn’t directly reveal much of his past. Connect the concept with Moonlight filmmaker Barry Jenkins And Moana songwriter Lin Manuel Mirandaand there is a possibility that Mufasa: The Lion King can do something its predecessor never could – tell an original story that actually expands on the original rather than rehashing it. Unfortunately, Barry Jenkins’ latest feature only partially succeeds in this goal, as the prequel still struggles to justify its existence in a creative sense.

Although Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel through and through, its story begins right after 2019 The Lion Kingwhere Simba and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles Carter) daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) remains in the care of Timon (Billy Eichner), Pumba (Seth Rogen) and Rafiki (John Kani), who decides to tell Kiara her grandfather’s story. Many years ago there was a young Mufasa (Braelyn Rankins) was separated from his parents in a tragic accident and eventually married to a young boy named Taka (Theo Somolu) and adopted into a new family. As the two grow up together, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) are forced to leave their home when a scary white lion named Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) and his pride tries to take over the Pride Lands by force. Their odyssey will reveal how one lion became a noble king while the other inherited a scarred legacy.

“Mufasa: The Lion King” is a moderate visual improvement over the 2019 film

The common consensus with 2019 The Lion King is that it’s a haphazard retelling of the original, but at least the visuals are good… I disagree. Personal, I don’t find the look of the remake appealing at all. Not only do the animals themselves seem completely lifeless and emotionless, the film also completely lacks color and depth. If you compare the overall look of the 2019 film to the 1994 original, it’s not even close.

Luckily, I can say that with certainty Mufasa: The Lion King is a much better film in a visual sense. First of all, the animals we follow in the film are far more expressive than before and their emotions are almost always clearly visible. There is also a lot more variety in the restaurants Mufasa Explore everything from tranquil lakes to blizzard-ravaged mountains. Barry Jenkins even adds something that was sorely missing Jon Favreauis the remake with some creatively surreal imagery, particularly during the film’s musical sequences.

Speaking of which, Mufasa: The Lion King is indeed a musical, and Lin-Manuel Miranda has the unenviable task of doing justice to the iconic songs created by him Elton John. While the imagery of these sequences is solid, The songs themselves follow a trend in recent Disney musicals in the sense that all the songs are just…okay. None of the film’s seven original songs are absolutely terrible, but they aren’t particularly memorable either. The only song that stands out is Kiros’ Villain Song, although not necessarily because the song itself is great. Don’t get me wrong, Mads Mikkelsen singing a Disney villain song is a surefire recipe for success, but the execution here is tonally inconsistent, as it plays as a joke song despite Kiros presumably slaughtering some key characters afterwards.

Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. are perfectly cast in a frustratingly cliched origin story

The performances in Mufasa: The Lion King are pretty solid overallThe more average values ​​from 2019 are largely bypassed The Lion King. In particular, Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. are perfectly cast as Mufasa and Taka, respectively, which makes the unfortunately disappointing origin story involving them all the more annoying. The great search Mufasa: The Lion King The question is how Mufasa became king and how Taka became Scar, and without going into too many spoilers, the answer is a boring, overused and predictable plot device that really needs to go the way of the dodo. This is also a plot device that unfortunately overshadows Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) to an underdeveloped love interest rather than a dynamic character.

After this storyline is introduced, Taka suddenly transforms from a loving brother into a complete homicidal maniac bent on greed and destruction. It’s a shame that Taka’s transition to Scar is so poorly developed because Kelvin Harrison Jr. gives probably my favorite performance in the film. As abrupt as it is, his mustache-twirling charisma is wonderfully authentic to the previous actors who have played the character. While Disney’s previous attempts at telling stories focused on villains have been mixed Maleficent And CruellaScar’s fall to the dark side could have been a more compelling focus if properly contextualized. Mads Mikkelsen is also entertaining as the film’s surrogate villain, but aside from a potentially intriguing throwaway line from Rafiki, Kiros isn’t given much meaningful development either.

Mads Mikkelsen, Kagiso Lediga, Preston NymanJohn Kani, Tiffany Boone and the other supporting cast all do commendable work as characters new and old. The main exceptions are when the film returns to the present as Rafiki continues the story and Timon and Pumba give some pretty jarring comedic feedback. Their constant breaking of the fourth wall just doesn’t fit with the supposedly tragic story of a deteriorating brotherly bond. These fourth wall breaks are some of the most obvious examples of this the film’s constant “member berries” constantly trying to tug at your nostalgic heartstrings.

“Mufasa” doesn’t add necessary context to “The Lion King.”

Mufasa: The Lion King really had a great opportunity to further develop two iconic characters. Barry Jenkins makes an admirable effort to truly improve a film that simply had no reason to exist. Still, while Mufasa may have decent graphics and catchy songs, its story is what it and the numerous remakes that preceded it struggle with. It’s another prime example of how good effects, good acting and good music aren’t enough if the narrative foundation isn’t strong enough.

But despite all his faults Mufasa: The Lion King It feels like a slight shift in the right direction for Disney remakes. At least the film tried expanding on the source material, which is what the other upcoming remakes really need to do. It’s not enough to have a few recognizable characters and a few familiar images, because it’s the stories behind these films that made them classics in the first place. Fans of the franchise and younger generations will find a lot to like Mufasa: The Lion KingBut It’s hard to imagine it leaving a legacy comparable to the original animated classic that started it all.

Mufasa: The Lion King hits theaters on December 20th.

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