Release Date: Dec. 20, 2024
Director: Barry Jenkins
Genre: Musical Drama, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG
Rating: B
After years of anticipation, “Mufasa: The Lion King” has come into theatres, reminding fans of the original animated movie, and setting the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa, voiced by Aaron Pierre. The movie is a prequel to Disney’s “The Lion King”, telling the story of Mufasa’s early life and how he goes from an orphan to King. The movie has been a box office success, grossing approximately $476.4 million globally, making it one of the highest grossing movies of 2024, internationally.
The story is set before the events of the original movie and Mufasa’s adventures as he becomes a respected leader through the mentorship of the lionesses. The film reveals how Mufasa ultimately found his way to the kingdom ruled by Scar’s family, with Scar originally being next in line to the throne.
One of the most praised aspects of the movie is the realistic scenes that capture the African savanna. The realistic animation shows viewers nature in amazing and lifelike details, allowing viewers to feel like they are part of the story, putting them in Mufasa’s shoes. The animals’ expressions and landscapes help the audience connect with the characters and story, making the experience more emotional. The animation is an improvement over the Lion King remake from 2019, having a more engaging look at the lion’s world.
“You definitely feel like you are in the movie when you watch it. The human traits they give the lions and other animals, help it become more realistic. I would have wanted the movie to be animated and not so realistic, to return to the aesthetic from the original. But it was way better than the original remake and the new plot was great,” freshman Elliot Cuevas said.
The music, inspired by the original soundtrack made by Hans Zimmer, was composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is one of the greatest parts of the movie. The music fits perfectly with the visuals, helping to make the emotional moments stronger and highlighting Mufasa’s personal journey. Although some of the new songs may not be as iconic as the original Lion King soundtrack, they add depth to the story and atmosphere. While the soundtrack features Lebo M, who also sang the famous “Circle of Life” from the original movie, no old songs are directly used in “Mufasa”. Instead, the prequel has its own set of exemplar new songs like “Ngomso” which is the opening track, similar to how “Circle of Life” started the original film.
“So far the “Circle of Life” is more iconic and I think it has a better beat. I do think ‘Ngomso’ has potential to be really famous and important for the storyline. It would have been nice if they added songs from the original just to keep the tradition. I want to see them make a story taking place after ‘The Lion King’ and see what Lebo M can come up with,” sophomore David Perez said.
However, while the focus of explaining the timeline before the original “Lion King” movie was the major attraction for fans, the movie was confusing and left many viewers upset. One of the most controversial moments occurs early on when viewers learn that Mufasa has been separated from his family due to a flood. Taka, known as Scar, saves him and begins treating him like a brother. Without any explanation for Mufasa’s feelings and thoughts, the movie sets his character to accept this new life without ever searching for his parents, which feels unrealistic given the trauma of losing them.
“It makes no sense that [Mufasa] does not look for his parents. Since they made the personality of the animals seem human-like it would have been implied that he was going to look for them. That is what a human would do. I understand why it could have been hard for the writers to explain how he chose to stay with the kingdom of lions anyways but it is still missing,” sophomore Yuval Lenin said.
The movie has also disappointed the public because it strays from the original plot, especially with the relationship between Scar and Mufasa. In the 1994 “The Lion King”, Scar and Mufasa are brothers, and Scar’s jealousy of Mufasa is a key part of his character. In the new version, they are not biological brothers, which has upset many fans. People feel that this change weakens the story by removing the bond between brothers and making Scar misunderstood.
“I honestly felt bad for Scar while I was watching the new movie. They unjustifiably took Scar’s spot at king away from him. It was obvious he would want to fight back and it explains why he acts the way he does. I think in the original movie they made him seem completely evil which is why it was easier to hate him. Now I think we can understand the character better which is what I think the point of the movie was,” freshman Bautista Cunningham said.
However, a deeper look into Scar’s past makes it easier to understand why he became the character he did, adding depth to the plot. While some may disagree with the film’s portrayal of Scar as a more misunderstood character rather than purely evil, the backstory explains his motivations. This deeper understanding of Scar’s journey provides a new perspective on his actions, making him a more relatable figure, even if his choices lead him down a dark path.
All in all, the portrayal of Mufasa added to a rich prequel that broadens the adventure for the fanatics. Although it has some narrative mistakes, the film has a fresh perspective on characters, visually creating deeper connections to their stories.