REVIEW #425 Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)

Mufasa The Lion King

Synopsis

Lost and alone, orphaned cub Mufasa forms a brotherhood with fellow lion cub Takka, together they must protect the royal bloodline and flee from the dangerous outsiders.

My Review

Mufasa: The Lion King is an interesting origin story for the mighty king we met in the original animated movie, fleshing out a character that is truly worthy of his titles. I think most of the projects set within this universe struggle to recreate the charm of The Lion King, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Disney shouldn’t explore the world further. The film has a tonne of heart, forming its foundations on brotherhood and the idea that family is about actions, loyalty and love, not dependent on the blood that runs through you. This premise creates a heartfelt story but also a pretty fun one too and although we all know of the impending betrayal to come, the climax is still exciting and tense, with lots of little nods to the events from the The Lion King. When Mads Mikkelsen is portraying your antagonist, you know you’re in for a treat but I will say that Aaron Pierre was the perfect choice for Mufasa! Which is not to take anything away from the Iconic James Earl Jones who receives a touching opening tribute in the movie.

However, the film isn’t without its faults because it’s certainly not perfect. The songs were a bit of a disappointment for me, with Lin Manuel Miranda at the helm, I thought we would have at least a couple of iconic tracks, unfortunately I don’t think that was the case. But the score of the movie was more impressive, reworking some of the original music but also creating some new elements that really contributed to the tension in places. Overall, the story is good enough to keep your attention and build up Mufasa as a capable leader, I appreciated the abilities that distinguished him from other male lions but ultimately what made him the better choice over Takka, which is really what the films all about. It’s left me wanting to see a few more stories of Mufasa in his prime because after all, he’s still not an adult in this prequel and there is so much more of Mufasa and Scars relationship to flesh out before the events of the original movie.

My Rating: 7 out of 10

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