As if it were a mirror for all Disney’s live-action remakes of their traditionally animated films, 2019’s The Lion King yielded mixed results. While it was cool to revisit Pride Rock with updated animation and star power for days, one can’t ignore the flaws that came with said reunion. For all that went right, the oddly animated animal faces and the second half reminiscent of the Falcons’ 28-3 Super Bowl collapse ultimately hurt it from a critical standpoint.
Still, the House the Mouse Built saw fit to bring another Lion King tale to the screen with Mufasa: The Lion King. Under the helm of master storyteller Barry Jenkins, Mufasa is a prequel for the titular character, whose death drove the OG film, as tribal elder Rafiki recalls Mufasa’s pre-royalty life to Kira, the young daughter of Simba and Nala. As it turns out, this journey to the past bests its predecessor and gets the Lion King lore back on track.
Personally, my biggest issue with the 2019 film was the voice acting. Most of the cast did well, but the film’s biggest stars lacked the chemistry and the tools to carry the latter half. That’s not an issue in Mufasa because everyone shows the power of skillful voice acting by making you feel what you can’t see. Granted, you can see the animals’ faces, but the viewing experience is better due to the actors speaking as if you can’t. It also ends that “lifeless animal” talk that plagued the first live-action film.
Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. are perfect as Mufasa and Taka, aka Scar, respectively. Their voices express and emote all feelings and cues needed to move the story. They’re akin to stage actors who use their vocals to make the audience feel expressions and moods they aren’t close enough to see on the actors’ faces. They do this exercise so well that you can follow the story with your eyes closed. It’s a testament to how talented both of these men are.
Mads Mikkelsen also stands out as his Kiros is as sinister as Jeremy Irons’s Scar from the 1994 film. He’s another example of how the actors in this film skillfully use the voice as a tool to make the audience feel what you can’t see.
Mufasa also has some wins behind the camera. The writing is good because it tells a story in a way that allows you to empathize with Mufasa and Taka/Scar, a tall task given what we know coming into the film. Taka/Scar is still on my hate list, but I’m willing to move him down a few spots after getting the backstory. There are also several cool callbacks to the OG film.
Jenkins’s gift for aesthetics is also on full display as his partnership with longtime collaborator James Laxton gives Mufasa arguably the most stunning views seen in any of the Disney live-action remakes. The shots of the African landscapes alone make paying for the upcharge to watch in IMAX worth it.
The one thing that Jenkins missed is Mufasa's pacing. While the film mostly moves in a way that keeps you engaged and never bores, the cuts to present-day Pride Rock for Kira to speak and Timon’s and Pumbaa’s comic relief disrupt the flow. They were disorienting and added nothing to the film.
Mufasa remains a must-see despite not being close to Jenkins’s best work. His knack for perfectly staging a scene overcomes any pacing flaws. The Pierre-Harrison Jr. tandem puts on a masterclass in voice acting that others would do well to follow. Outdoing the previous live-action Lion King film wasn’t much of an accomplishment, but Mufasa's rise from those ashes to make a pretty good Lion King story despite its flaws deserves yours and Disney’s investment.
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