Despite the sheer horror that was “The Lion King” live-action, I can confidently say “Mufasa: The Lion King” exceeded my expectations.
I didn’t like the live-action remake because that’s a story we all know and love. You can’t recreate something that iconic and have it be enjoyable to watch because you’d rather watch the original animated movie.
So, going into “Mufasa” I had hesitations purely based on how much I disliked “The Lion King” live action.
However, “Mufasa” was one of my favorite movies that was released in 2024.
What worked
Let me start with this: I adore “The Lion King.” It is my all-time favorite Disney movie. No doubt about it. No questions. It is my favorite.
So, I have an emotional connection to the “Mufasa” storyline because of my love for this franchise. And let me tell you, one of the first things you see when “Mufasa” starts is a blank, black screen that reads, “In Remembrance of James Earl Jones.”
Jones was the voice of Mufasa in the original animated movie. When I saw this on screen, I knew this wasn’t going to be a movie that was thrown together just praying for a box office hit. I knew this would be a movie that was intentional with every move it made.
And I was not let down.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” is the story of how Mufasa came to be King of the Pride Lands. It shows how he grew up and how he met key characters like Scar, Sarabi and Rafiki.
What I enjoy about this movie is that it’s a story I’ve never heard. Watching it was something new, and I love how it expanded on what I already knew from the original animated movie.
The film shows Mufasa as vulnerable, humble and conflicted, which is something we previously never had a picture of. From the animated film, we know Mufasa as the confident ruler of the Pride Lands who took action to protect his loved ones. So, in “Mufasa,” we come to understand how the events in his young life make him the great king that he is.
It was intriguing to see him as a character who was reluctant to feel deserving of good things. He felt relatable in that way. Mufasa struggled to come to terms with his emotions and even buried his feelings. Watching him be young and experience self-doubt was like reliving the times I’ve felt like that.
I enjoyed seeing Mufasa meet those key characters and we even got to see some of their own backgrounds as well. It felt like a full circle, a come together moment where everything you previously knew was joined with all this new information.
Like I said, everything felt intentional. The storyline was believable and all the Easter eggs that nod to the original were subtle, yet clicked in your brain when watching, like Scar grabbing and hooking onto Mufasa’s front paws. Genius writing there.
I don’t know that much about photorealistic computer-generated imagery, which is used to make this a live action. But, I did feel immersed in the film. So, it must be pretty good for me to feel like I could see each strand of hair in all the lions’ manes.
What didn’t work
The music. We all know Lin-Manuel Miranda cooks. But I’ll be honest. Upon first watching, I didn’t like the music. It felt jarring in some scenes, and I originally felt like I just took away from the story.
However, after seeing TikTok after TikTok after TikTok of people playing the line, “What did you say ‘bout my brother?” in the song “I Always Wanted a Brother,” I now know Miranda only makes catchy music.
I like that song, and even others like “Bye Bye” and “Tell Me It’s You.” These songs alone are catchy and straight bops.
But, hot take: I still stand strong on the fact that the movie didn’t need music. The solution for me would’ve been to still release these songs on streaming platforms as a bonus. But, the movie did not need these musical moments because it was strong on its own, without the music.
The verdict
Even though the musical moments were unnecessary, the film was still a well thought out and original story. Every scene and every character made sense.
Getting to see how Mufasa became king fulfilled my craving for nostalgia, and the filmmakers did an incredible job showing his tendencies when he was young. Nothing came out cheesy or cringey, but rather in-depth and layered with emotion.
I’m rating “Mufasa: The Lion King” 4.5 out of 5 stars and it is a MUST-see in theaters, and you can guarantee I’ll be watching this repeatedly in my own home.
Seeing Mufasa struggle with self-doubt at every turn is what made this a great movie because I could feel his anxiety, which is a sure sign of an excellent movie—when emotions transfer from the screen to the hearts of the audience.
