Be prepared… as Mufasa: The Lion King roars into theaters this holiday season. At once a sequel and a prequel to 2019’s The Lion King, this movie picks up the mantle of Disney’s unique experiment, blending live-action filmmaking with CGI techniques, and uses it to much greater effect than ever before. Mufasa brings a cast of loveable lions to our screens and immerses us into a fantastical world that’s sometimes beautifully heart-warming and sometimes incredibly harrowing, but in a good way—much like 1994’s The Lion King before it. While the particulars of the plot may not always entirely make sense, Mufasa: The Lion King offers spectacle, song, and just the right amount of snarky meta jokes and altogether serves as a movie you’ll be proud to take your pride to again and again.
A live-action/CGI blend animal movie was always going to be a bit of a tricky proposition. And though 2019’s The Lion King offered a unique spin on this methodology, some felt that perhaps the emotion and the wonder of the original movie were not as highly present as in the new version of the film. But happily, this is not an issue in Mufasa: The Lion King. Right from the very beginning of the movie, Mufasa takes care to create a world that is both realistic and fantastical. Although the animals look realistic in a very cool way, they are also clearly inhabiting a magical Disney world; one where colors are brighter, settings are more epic and intense, and the lion is truly one of the most majestic creatures around.
In this way, when they begin to sing and interact, as only Disney lions can, everything feels very sensical and immersive. I have to shout out here to one of the first songs we hear in the film, “Milele.” The staging, if you will, of “Milele” is so colorful and gorgeously magical, complete with flowers springing to life and butterflies drenching the air with swathes of color, that a viewer immediately feels transported into Mufasa‘s world.
And, of course, there are our stars, the animals themselves. If previous incarnations of the “live-action meets CGI” lions, lions, and warthogs (oh my!) of The Lion King didn’t emote as fully as they could, then Mufasa‘s creatures have cracked the code. Mufasa, Taka/Scar, Sarabi, Kiara, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, Kiros, and the rest are brimming with multitudes of emotions in this movie. Be it love, hope, helplessness, rage, jealousy, excitement, anguish, or murderous intent, if the animal is feeling it, we are feeling it too. The CGI aspect of the lions and other creatures feels seamless in Mufasa. As a viewer, I immediately accepted these more true-to-life animals as the heroes (or villains) of the sweeping tale, just as I would a fully animated creature or a live-action human character. To me, that feels like a huge credit to this movie.
The emotion and sincerity of the starring animals would not be able to manifest without the real stars and voices behind them, though. Aaron Pierre shines as our hero, Mufasa, and enriches the lion with a sincere goodness and nobility that pulls the viewer’s heartstrings. Mufasa, I think, has always been seen as one of the most true-hearted characters in the Disney canon, and Mufasa: The Lion King only enhances this vision of him. Mufasa, indeed, is so good and so perfect that, as an adult, you might almost want to dislike him for being so flawless. But Pierre makes sure Mufasa is just so darn likable. Truly, we have no choice but to root for him all the way through. (And we love it every step of the way!)
Scar, on the other hand, wrestles with threads of jealousy, inferiority, and the pull of good and evil in Mufasa: The Lion King. And Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka/Scar delivers on the specific challenge of balancing all these aspects. Harrison Jr.’s performance helps us to understand and love Scar in his younger form, Taka, while blending in all the ingredients that will come to life to make Scar, Scar, along the way. There’s a moment late in the film where the shift in voice Taka’s voice is chilling and superbly uncanny, and that’s down to Harrison Jr.’s genius.
Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, Beyoncé as Nala, John Kani as Rafiki, Thandiwe Newton as Eshe, and Preston Nyman as Zazu (and I could go on) also all lend their voices to create the beautiful tapestry of Mufasa and bring love, goodness, and joy to their roles. And, of course, Billy Eichner as Timon and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa absolutely crush it. The duo add a necessary layer of humor to the movie, most of which, they share with Nerdist, was improvised. These jokes help to keep adults as well as children entertained throughout the film. To conclude this section, we’ll just say, “Hakuna Mufasa!” (So legal won’t get on our case!)
Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, the villain of the tale, naturally steals the whole show. But he’s so good, we’ll have to give him his own unique space in just a little bit.
As far as the story of Mufasa: The Lion King goes, director Barry Jenkins weaves a deft story within a story, tying us from the present existence of Nala, Simba, and Kiara to the past story of Mufasa’s childhood and life (as told to Kiara by Rafiki) and then deftly threading us into the future with a joyous ending. This, of course, ties into The Lion King‘s most salient theme of the circle of life, beautifully highlighting the notions of existing beyond just our time, living inside of our descendants, helping them on their journeys, and never losing connection with those we love. At one particularly harrowing moment, Kiros declares that the circle of life is a lie and there is only death. But Mufasa: The Lion King beautifully shows us that this is not the case.
Mufasa’s tale, of course, is all about family and brotherhood. The movie really nicely depicts what it’s like to have a sibling and makes space and time for both blood and found family in a way that I felt was very moving. Especially of note was the beautiful depiction of a relationship between an adopted mother and her son. In short, Mufasa loses his blood parents in a shocking fashion but finds a new family in Taka/Scar’s pride (becoming Taka’s adopted brother)… although that too quickly becomes threatened. At the end of the day, to face a great threat to lions and all other animals, Mufasa must find the strength to assert his true role… as the Lion King. Although, of course, this is a title that Scar/Taka believes is promised to him, creating a tension between them. There’s also a side of leonine romance to complicate things.
If you take a closer look at the plot of the movie, though, it sometimes overextends itself and sometimes presents as too overly simplistic. For instance, the villains’ identities and motivations are a bit too complicated and unclear in Mufasa, as is the idea of who exactly “The Lion King” is and what the role entails. On the flip side, the love triangle that forms between Mufasa, Taka, and Sarabi to really drive a wedge between the brothers seems a bit too on the nose.
That said, Mufasa: The Lion King is a movie whose audience is, first and foremost, children, and that’s how it should be. So, trying to pick apart the exact meaning of all its plot points or criticizing it too heavily for more overt turns of the story is probably missing the point. If I were a five-year-old or a seven-year-old, I think I would have no complaints. Especially as, in true Disney movie fashion, alongside the greater themes and plots, there are big set pieces of action that include epic fights, wild chases, and harrowing leaps. But the film also features quiet moments of intimacy that speak loudly to those of all ages—holding one another in a time of danger, learning from those you love, and finding comfort in friendship.
Then, of course, there are the songs in Mufasa: The Lion King. Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is back behind the wheel of another Disney movie, and certainly brings his flair for catchy bops and heartfelt counterpoint to the table. Mufasa: The Lion King‘s soundtrack has a good blend of songs that harken back to the original music while bringing something original to the table. For instance, “I Always Wanted a Brother” is in good conversation with “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” and the pair of songs will be a fun duo to listen to together. Miranda’s flair for memorable tunes that also know how to move the story along really shines in Mufasa. And his work here is guaranteed to get stuck in your head.
Then, of course, there’s the villain song. Disney movies are well-known for their villain songs hitting it out of the park. And Miranda’s “Bye Bye,” written for Mads Mikkelsen’s villain Kiros, is a banger. Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, firstly, is exceptional. His star power seeps all the way through, creating a fearsome lion who will casually order your death with a smile. There’s just no ignoring Kiros in a scene, and “Bye Bye” is his true moment to shine. The song is funny but absolutely terrifying. The phrase “bye-bye” is kind of cute and silly in its conceit, but listen to Mads Mikkelsen sing it, and it will bring shudders up your spine.
That is the power of song, the power of a villain song, and the power of Mads Mikkelsen and “Bye Bye” in Mufasa: The Lion King. Only Mads Mikkelsen, in the hands of a great songwriter and director, could deliver the lyrics, “Cause I’m gonna be the last thing you see/Before you go, bye-bye” and make them sound like a true threat to your life. If you will excuse us, we will run and hide.
Overall, Mufasa: The Lion King takes us on an epic adventure with our favorite realistic animal friends; the movie tells a sincere and emotional journey and brings new life to the most important themes of The Lion King. It highlights the importance of friendship, the idea life contains both delights and rapids, and the beauty of love’s eternal nature. The film will likely make its audience, adults and kids alike, cry, laugh, and gasp as it entertains them with some new favorite songs and whirls them away with a grand spectacle worthy of Mufasa, the Lion King.
