Mufasa: The Lion King
A Review by Eric Brown
Originally reviewed on 12/24/24
This review is written in the honor of James Earl Jones. A pillar in my childhood, you will be deeply missed by your family, friends, and fans all around the world. Thank you, James, for the years of your life you dedicated to making all of ours better. Rest in Peace. January 17th, 1931 – September 9th, 2024.
Story: 8.5/10
Performances: 8.5/10
Cinematography: 8.5/10
Music (score/soundtrack): 7/10
Visuals (props/settings/wardrobe/CGI): 9/10
Final Score: 8.3/10
Synopsis:
A troubled Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) is eagerly waiting for her father Simba (Donald Glover) and Mother Nala (Beyoncé) to return home. In their absence, she is watched over by Timon and Pumbaa (Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan respectively), as well as Rafiki (John Kani) who tells Kiara the story of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), her grandfather, and his journey from orphan to king.
Spoiler Free Review
This movie surprised me. From start to finish, I was enthralled by the visuals and cinematography. The story was mildly predictable, but that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment too much. However, the music, specifically the lyrics, felt underwhelming throughout the entire movie.
Spoiler Review
Starting with the music, I felt that the original music was lacking. The songs all had good rhythm and melodies, but the lyrics left more to be desired. Mads Mikkelson, as per usual, turns in a phenomenal performance as the movie’s main villain, Kiros. The relationship between Mufasa and Taka turning from brothers to rivals was a good depiction of that type of trope. I knew instantly that Taka would become Scar, and I spent every second waiting for the turn to happen. When it did happen however, it kind of missed the beat. The 2v1 fight between Mufasa, Taka, and Kiros was amazing, but the following scene didn’t have the weight to it that I expected it to. It left me feeling unsatisfied. The thought of “wait, that’s it?” crossed my mind when we finally heard the name Scar. Timon and Pumbaa really didn’t have much to do story wise, besides interrupting Rafiki’s story to tell a few jokes (though I will admit, I did find a decent bit of them funny). Rafiki remains my favorite part of these movies. His character of wisdom, combined perfectly with his comedy is always gold, in cartoon and live action. The cinematography and visuals in this movie are stunning. Every shot is full of color, and perfectly matches the tone and feeling of the scene. The actual score of the movie, beyond the musical numbers, is great to listen to. The ending with Kiara practicing her roars, and calling up to her ancestors was beautiful. Not to mention, how well of a job Blue Ivy Carter did in her debut acting role as Kiara, and at just 12 years old. Overall, I think this is a good movie, and a lot of fun to watch. I think it’s a great movie for families to enjoy, but in my eyes, it isn’t a masterpiece like the original.
