James Berardinelli review - **1/2 out of ****

https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/mufasa-the-lion-king

Mufasa, a prequel to both 1994’s original and 2019’s remake of The Lion King, is an example of commercialism at its most obvious. Although there are praiseworthy elements to Barry Jenkins’ venture into the series and children will almost certainly lap it up with the enthusiasm reserved for favorite franchise installments, the stench of lucre permeates the project. Make no mistake: this movie exists because Disney saw a way to squeeze more money out of The Lion King, a wonderful stand-alone story that has given birth to made-for-video sequels, cheapish TV shows, and a photorealistic re-do. Mufasa is a movie absolutely no one in the general public was clamoring for and, although many will see it, the well-earned “unnecessary” label should stick.

The film uses The Princess Bride’s framework of having the bulk of the plot unspool as part of a story told to a group of eager listeners. This allows the movie to function as a quasi-sequel as well as a prequel and opens the door to appearances by fan favorites Simba (Donald Glover), Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter), their daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), Rafiki (John Kani), Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), and Timon (Billy Eichner). Although such a full menu of familiar faces will no doubt delight Lion King fans, the frequent interruptions derail any narrative momentum.

Rafiki’s (the storyteller) yarn tells of the chance encounter between an orphaned lion cub named Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and the lion prince Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). After saving Mufasa’s life, Taka brings his new friend home to meet his parents, who are not impressed. Nevertheless, after some deliberation, Mufasa is admitted into the tribe; he and Taka grow up together as foster-brothers. Tragedy occurs with the arrival of a band of white lion Outsiders and their powerful leader, Kiros (Mads Mikkelson). Mufasa and Taka escape but find the Outsiders in close pursuit. As they flee toward the mythical paradise of Milele, they are joined by the young lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), her hornbill companion Zazu (Preston Nyman), and the mandrill Rafiki. As their journey enters snowy mountains, the Outsiders close in, and jealousy over Sarabi’s affections poisons Taka’s feelings for Mufasa.

Mufasa is arguably the most technically adept animated movie to-date, perfecting (or nearly so) the creation of lifelike animals using a combination of CGI and motion capture. It is arguable, however, whether that represents the best approach for a movie like this. Somehow, it’s easier to accept the fantasy of singing, talking animals when they’re cartoons. The more realistic they become, the greater the disconnect between what’s real and what isn’t. When no one is speaking, the movie is breathtaking to behold. Make Mufasa a silent film and it would be a work of wonder. The songs are uniformly forgettable, although that could in part be because the numbers in The Lion King are so memorable. Perhaps Lin-Manuel Miranda was tasked with a thankless job. The movie might have been better with either of two alternate options: (1) no musical numbers at all, or (2) only reprises from The Lion King. (There are none of those, although “The Circle of Life” is referenced instrumentally, as are some of Hans Zimmer’s compositions.)

One quibble I have with the voice cast is that Aaron Pierre could have opted for more bass in his line readings, coming closer to (without necessarily aping) James Earl Jones’ intonations. Considering that The Lion King transpires only a few years in the future from Mufasa, a closer match would have made in-world sense.

One wonders why a filmmaker as accomplished as Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) would be interested in working in such a calcified environment. Since no Disney franchise title would tolerate more than token uniqueness or creativity, neither is evident here. Jenkins works within well-defined constraints, always coloring in between the lines. The result is workmanlike, which is the best one could hope considering the limitations.

The degree to which Mufasa can be considered a success is based on expectations. Disney wants to the movie to make money, which it will do (although its bottom line could be compromised by competition from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Moana 2). It will provide families with an experience to share. But there’s something cynical about using standards like those to decide whether a movie works. For all its sparkling visuals, Mufasa is redundant. And that makes watching it (at least as an adult) deflating.