‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Movie Review – Spotlight Report
Disney and Lion King fans have adored the story of Simba for years and the original film has a special place in the hearts of millions across the globe. Following the film’s live action release in 2019, Disney have now given audiences the opportunity to discover more about Simba’s Father in ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’.
‘‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ tells the story of how Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) grew from a young cub and into the wise and noble King of Pride Rock that we all know him as. We are also introduced to some familiar characters along the way.
One element of the film that stands out is how immersive they make the world and environment feel in which the film is set. The animation is done beautifully and really aids in captivating the audience and keeping them engaged.
The overall story arc for Mufasa was very well done. There was a lot of chatter online from fans of the franchise who were worried about this film tainting the essence of the character from what we have seen of him in the original film but Disney have done a decent job in creating this new story while honouring what has come before and where the story of this character will eventually lead.
As well as further exploring the story of Mufasa we are also treated to discovering more about his relationship with Scar, or as he is known in this film, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). We get to see the pair growing up as brothers which was a great on screen dynamic to be able to witness. The film also shows how their relationship develops into what we know it as in the original ‘Lion King’ and it was great to be able to have answers to so many plot points that fans may have had questions about.
One of the more weaker elements of the film is the music. There is some great score work that has been done for the film but some of the musical numbers felt out of place and jarring at times.
Another aspect of the film that was slightly distracting was how the story of Mufasa was being told. His story is being told to Simba’s daughter, Kiara and it is being told by Rafiki (John Kani) who is accompanied by Pumba (Seth Rogen) and Timon (Billy Eichner). While it is great to see these characters once again, the film is constantly cutting back to them to add some comedy where it can. At times this was found to be rather distracting and very quickly took you out of the story that was being told.
Overall, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King is a delightful trip through the African wilderness for the whole family and is one that will leave fans of the franchise satisfied.
