Mufasa: The Lion King review – Hakuna Whatever

The Disney live-action adaptation machine continues in high gear, keeping up with the output of original animated work, and occasionally even pushing at the limits of what already exists.

Disney gets some points with Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to the highly successful “live-action” 2019 remake of its beloved 1994 cartoon release. This for at least telling a pseudo-original story, much like fellow precursor tale Cruella did. Indeed, the composition of its many creative elements – a headline cast, music royalty, polished animation – bodes promise. And yet, despite all its attempts to atone for its emotionally detached predecessor, Mufasa: The Lion King ultimately fails to uphold its lineage and deliver an enveloping family experience.

Set against the beautiful backdrop of the African landscape, the film tells the story of a young, orphaned lion named Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre), growing up alongside his foster brother Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and his pride while yearning to find his place in the world. When the pride comes under attack from a pack of outsider lions, led by the giggling Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), Mufasa and Taka venture out to find a home, pursued by Kiros and meeting new friends along the way. These new allies include the young princess lion Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), Zazu the hornbill (Preston Nyman), and an eccentric mandrill by the name of Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga).

Right at the start, Mufasa reveals a lack of fresh ideas. The film takes the form of an origin story being told by an older Rafiki (voiced once again by Jon Kani) to the daughter of Simba and Nala, Kira, who is voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. Kira and Rafi are accompanied by the quip-gagging Timon and Pumbaa (Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen). This framing distracts from and ultimately damages the greater story, with dramatic moments continually interrupted by superficial comedy. It comes off as merely an excuse to have fan-favourite characters from the original film make an appearance.

This didn’t have to be the case, if the filmmakers had trusted in the powerful source material they have. For all intents and purposes, were one to give a character from The Lion King an elaborate backstory, Mufasa leads the rest of the pack. Already a fascinating and commanding figure, his journey from isolated youngster to leader, complete with a Moses-style start, is compelling and, when placed in the greater context of the Pride Lands, is a great counter to the opposing views held by Kiros. That said, Kiros’s fundamentalism is more interesting than the character himself. He’s just a lion that wants to eat first.

On matters of voice acting, Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. do a respectable job as the brotherly leads, Tiffany Boone adds an air of level-headedness and honour in her role as Sarabi, and Preston Nyman is adequate as young Zabu (though he’s unable to match the piercing shrills of Rowan Atkinson and John Oliver, the previous voices of the character). But in all honesty, the standout of the film, and who easily gets the most laughs, is South African actor Kagiso Lediga as young Rafiki. The mandril’s often misplaced optimism and sometimes infuriating mysticism is an ideal counter to the rest of the group. He’s a joy to watch on the screen.

As a musical, Mufasa: The Lion King strums the same notes as the previous films with equivalent numbers for each of the tracks we know and love. There’s a counterpart for “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”, “Hakuna Matata”, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, all of which never manage to achieve the impact those songs originally had. This said, Taka is given a number that stands out, and the overall song compilation hits the right notes thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Lebo M, who returns to provide additional vocals.

Lessons were obviously learned with 2019’s The Lion King in regard to animating the prequel. While the Pride Lands continue to be rendered in gorgeous colours, and are brimming with lively fauna and luscious flora, the characters have been granted greater capability to emote, trading in a level of authenticity in favour of more expressive facial features. However, the effect is still fundamentally “real” and there remains the issue of the film’s animation being straightjacketed by required credibility. As was the case with 2019’s The Lion King, the inability to take as many creative liberties, particularly in the case of the musical numbers, results in scenes that are unable to be as lively, immersive, and entertaining as they were in 1994.

Therein lies the futility of these “live-action” adaptations. Mufasa: The Lion King is unable to reach the heights of the films that came before because of its self-imposed creative limits – that simultaneous insistence to tick off expected components, and manoeuvre around the restrictions of reality. Despite striking visuals, and having inherent potential as an epic tale of two lions that sets the stage for an even more epic tale to come, it settles for the safe and familiar, sadly retreating with its tail between its legs as something disposable.

Mufasa: The Lion King is in cinemas, including large format screens like IMAX and 4DX, from 20 December. The film is also screening in 3D.