In a time where sequels, prequels, and legacy-quels run rampant, one hopes — even begs — for something different. A prequel to the live action The Lion King (2019) that revolves around Mufasa and his humbling, noble rise to power is more than likely a film no one asked for. Hearing that acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins (Moonlight; If Beale Street Could Talk) is behind the prequel is a differentiator that could definitely raise eyebrows among even the most-stern detractors of exhaustive IP recycling. Picking up where Jon Favreau’s animated, photorealistic remake of the beloved film ended, Mufasa: The Lion King begins with Simba (Donald Glover) preparing to meet with Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) in an oasis as she gives birth to their new child. He enlists pals meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa (Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively) to look over his daughter Kiara (played by newcomer Blue Ivy Carter) as he sets out. While waiting out a dangerous storm, the very wise mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) tells Kiara and company the story of her grandfather Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and how he came to be the original Lion King. Leading with a fair but generic storyline, the most disappointing thing about Mufasa is not Jenkins’s direction (there’s some heart and soul within this cash cow of a film), it’s knowing that the film never gets that creative push story-wise that would make it distinguishable from other generic prequels because of the crippling existence of brand and formula.
L-R: Pumbaa (voiced by Seth Rogen) and Timon (voiced by Billy Eichner) in Disney’s live-action MUFASA: THE LION KING. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Being that this film, along with any other Disney movie, is “for the kids,” grace can be given, but bad quality cannot be excused. To first cover what works for the film, it boasts a talented voice cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Chevalier) as Taka, the young lion prince who befriends Mufasa, who was taken astray from his family by a flood and ended up on Taka’s land; Lennie James (Snatch) plays the lazy, rude king Obasi while Thandiwe Newton (The Pursuit of Happyness) is the nurturing Queen Eshe; Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round) does a formidable job voicing the villain Kiros, a white lion leader who plans revenge against Mufasa for killing his son during a raid battle earlier in the film; and Tiffany Boone (The Midnight Sky) voices Sarabi, the lioness who befriends Mufasa and Taka.
L-R: Sarabi (voiced by Tiffany Boone), Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre), Rafiki (voiced by Kagiso Lediga), and Taka (voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr.) in Disney’s live-action MUFASA: THE LION KING. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Now on to what doesn’t work. Jeff Nathanson’s (Catch Me If You Can) script follows the generic beats of a rise-to-power story (the family-friendly version of it, that is) — protagonist gets lost/goes on an adventure, finds friends, finds a new family, finds thyself, finds love, fights back, gets found. A telling line of dialogue that seems like it was from the cutting room floor of the original (“to be lost is to learn the way”) fits with the overdone theme this film is sticking to. On the songwriting side of things, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Moana) continues his streak of writing entertaining melodies for Disney films; while the songs presented are solid and engaging, they are ultimately forgettable. One false note to point out is a song where Mads Mikkelsen’s Kiros sings a mischievous song as he takes over a land and reigns himself as king. A character’s intimidating presence being regressed into a catchy song-and-dance would work in a 2D Disney film, but with a visually stunning, photorealistic landscape such as this, it feels … distractingly jarring. Another pain-point with the film is the “Anakin Skywalker” effect on its storyline; there are a few “wink” and “nod” moments foreshadowing events in the original film, almost to an exhausting effect. Generic character development paired with predictable twists and turns doesn’t make much of a great case for this film’s existence other than to keep the Lion King brand in effect.
Kiros (voiced by Mads Mikkelson) in Disney’s live-action MUFASA: THE LION KING. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Uninspired story and forgettable ballads aside, Barry Jenkins does at least try to apply his trademark sensitive direction to this film. There are remnants of a soul found in this story as Jenkins uses the beautiful landscape paired with the talented voice cast to drive home a story as old as time about identity, purpose and pride. The main downside being that this film feels like an empty retreat of the great original that came before (and also came before this film’s 2019 predecessor). It’s unfortunate that this film feels like director-for-hire work, something indistinguishable from Rob Marshall’s 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid or Robert Zemeckis’s live-action remake of Pinocchio. These films aren’t ineffective because of lack of trying on the directing (or even acting) side of things, they’re ineffective because their existence is just to lean on existing IP instead of bringing something fresh or different. It’s a tough irony to face since the film belongs to a studio that has prided itself on creating classics that have done just that, deliver the audience something they have never seen before.
Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) in Disney’s live-action MUFASA: THE LION KING. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
People can at least take solace in the packed features supplementing this digital release. There are a handful of featurettes delving deep into the filmmaking process, including “Finding Milele: The Making of Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Songs of the Savanna,” the latter in which Jenkins and Miranda sit down and discuss the challenges of creating music for the film. There’s also a nice “Outtakes” feature, a handful of deleted scenes, and a sing-along version of the film, so not all is lost for this 4K release.
Mufasa: The Lion King Special Features:
- Full Length Sing-Along – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
- Finding Milele: The Making of Mufasa: The Lion King – Join visionary director Barry Jenkins and the cast of Mufasa: The Lion King on an epic journey to create a brand-new chapter in the story of The Lion King. Explore how the story was developed and the technology used to make Mufasa‘s world come to life.
- Songs of the Savanna – Director Barry Jenkins and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda sit down to discuss the excitement and challenges of creating the music for Mufasa: The Lion King.
- Ostrich Eggs with Timon & Pumbaa – Timon and Pumbaa reveal fun facts and some of the hidden references in the movie.
- Protect the Pride – Learn how Disney and The Lion Recovery Fund are working to protect the pride and conserve lions in the wild.
- Outtakes – Watch the cast having fun in the recording booth.
- Four (4) Deleted Scenes
- Music Video: “I Always Wanted a Brother” IRL – Join Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Mufasa: The Lion King as they perform “I Always Wanted A Brother” backstage at a film shoot.
- Six (6) Song Selections
Available on digital February 18th, 2025.
Available on Disney+ March 26th, 2025.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD April 1st, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Walt Disney Studios Mufasa: The Lion King webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, streaming
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