Then came the re-imagining of the story from director Jon Favreau in 2019 – a film that lifted CGI animation to a whole new level. Even watching the film years later it still feels like you are watching real animals and not something created by a computer.
Now director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) continues that legacy with Mufasa: The Lion King. The film begins with Simba (voiced by Donald Glover – Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Nala (Beyonce – Dreamgirls) leaving their daughter Kiara (newcomer Blue Ivy Carter) in the care of Pumbaa (Seth Rogen – The Super Bros. Movie), Timon (Billy Eichner – The Angry Birds Movie) and Rafiki (John Kani – Black Panther).
With a storm approaching and Kiara terrified, Rafiki decides to tell the young lion the story of her grandfather. The story begins with a young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre – Rebel Ridge) becoming separated from his parents during a flood.
He is rescued by another young lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jnr. – It Comes at Night) and his mother, Eshe (Thandie Newton – Crash). However, when they try to bring Mufasa into their pride he is rejected by its leader Obasi (Lennie James – The Walking Dead).
So Eshe decides to raise Mufasa as her own during which time he becomes a lethal hunter – skills that come to the fore when the pride is attacked by Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen – Doctor Strange) and his pride.
Sensing defeat, Eshe orders Taka and Mufasa to leave to protect Taka’s father’s legacy. However, they soon realise that they are being hunted by Kiros and as their journey continues they are joined by Rafiki, a young lioness named Sarabi (Tiffany Boone – The Following) and the cheeky Zazu (Preston Nyman – Crooked House).
While a masterpiece itself, the story of the original The Lion King did leave true fans with a lot of questions, especially around the relationship between Scar (whom Taka becomes in this film) and Mufasa. There are some hints there but nothing is truly explained, so that is where Mufasa: The Lion King comes into its own.
The plot, which comes from the pen of screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can), answers all of those questions and in fairness to Scar as a character it probably should also be pointed out that this is as much his origins story as it is Mufasa’s. The way Nathanson tells that story while also capturing how the friendship between Mufasa, Rafiki, Sarabi and Zazu began is kind of genius.
What does let the plot down a little though are some of the cliches. While Kiros is a great villain, and a great analogy for what the ‘white’ invaders did to Africa, he is a walking cliché. While the notion of him wanting to rule over all animals is believable there are still a lot of questions to be asked including where this pride of White Lions suddenly came from.
The framing element that Nathanson uses for this story is also likely to divide audiences as well. While some fans will be impressed that he has managed to find a way to bring Pumbaa and Timon into what is largely a story that occurred before their time, others will realise that at times it is brought in just when the ‘flashback’ is getting interesting and interrupts the story being told.
Still the positives here well and truly outweigh the negatives. The characterisation in the screenplay is top notch, even making me like Rafiki a little more after learning his backstory, and that is further enhanced again by this spectacular CGI that makes you feel like you are right there on the savannah with these amazing animals. Even the way the animal’s mouths move when they speak is a testament to just how stunning the animation is here.
The other big talking point here is the music. While there are no tracks here that will ever become as iconic as Can You Feel The Love Tonight, The Circle of Life, I Just Can’t Wait to Be King or Hakuna Matata, there are some catchy numbers here that are guaranteed to become earworms as you watch the film a number of times.
Mufasa: The Lion King is definitely a film for lovers of the franchise. Newcomers will understand what is happening plotwise, but certainly will not get as much out of that as those who live and breathe the characters and relationships of the original films. This is a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family just be aware that it does has some darker themes and moments.
Mufasa: The Lion King is now showing in Phuket and is rated ‘G’
3.5/5 Stars
David Griffiths has been working as a film journalist for over 25 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. He currently hosts a film podcast called The Popcorn Conspiracy. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes accredited reviewer and is an alternate judge for the Golden Globes Awards. You can follow him at Facebook: SubcultureEntertainmentAus