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The latest Disney live-action remake is about to hit the 2024 movie release calendar, but unlike the films we’ve seen in the past, this one isn’t a straight-forward retelling of an animated classic. Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King is both a sequel and a prequel to the 2019 remake that will explore the origin story of the mighty king and his brother Taka (who would come to be known as Scar). Before the movie’s December 20 release, critics were able to screen the upcoming kid-friendly flick, and now they’re here to give us an idea of what to expect.
First reactions to Mufasa: The Lion King were positive, as critics celebrated the improved animation and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack. Now that they’re able to expand on their initial thoughts, let’s take a look at what they think of the upcoming Disney movie, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Mufasa: The Lion King. Eric Eisenberg gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars, calling it “serviceable,” with enough good to outweigh the bad. There is plenty of bad, though, as the story gets buried by an overload of prequel material. He writes:
Did you ever wonder how Rafiki got his staff? Or how Pride Rock took shape? I never have, and I’m betting you haven’t either. And yet, Jeff Nathanson’s screenplay is written as though it is filling out a checklist of references to satiate fans hungry for that trivia. Paired with the aforementioned stylistic echoes from the first act, Mufasa: The Lion King holds itself back from feeling like an independent creation by being overly beholden to its predecessor/s.
Matt Singer of ScreenCrush also notes Mufasa’s compulsion to overexplain every aspect of the first movie, and while turning Mufasa’s rise to power into its own cinematic experience does make sense, Singer doesn’t understand why Barry Jenkins was the director chosen to do it. The critic rates the film 4 out of 10, saying:
While Mufasa dwells on these sorts of irrelevant details, its larger questions go unanswered. Most fundamentally: Why did Barry Jenkins, one of our greatest directors, decide to make a prequel to Jon Favreau’s ‘live-action’ Lion King, which featured eerily realistic but frozen-faced animals? Whatever his reasons, they’re not apparent in the finished movie. I find it hard to believe anyone could look at Mufasa sans credits or context and identify it as ‘A Barry Jenkins Film.’ It is just another cog in the Disney live-action (or ‘live-action’) remake machine, and not particularly engaging one at that.
Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gives it 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying that while Barry Jenkins is coloring inside the lines by hitting all of the expected beats of a big studio franchise property, the movie really works. The director alternates from heartwrenching drama to fan-service fun and even shows us new sides of himself through musical numbers and action sequences. The critic continues:
These aspects and others make the movie vibrate with personality when, in other hands, it might’ve come across as a rote exercise in intellectual property servicing. Mufasa never quite bursts free of the constraints placed upon it, but those constraints never stop it from moving, or from being moving. It has a signature, rendered with a steady hand.
Pete Hammond of Deadline also has good things to say about the “rousing, if not regal” adventure, noting that the return of Timon and Pumbaa is welcome and there are some musical highlights from Lin-Manuel Miranda en route to a majestic conclusion that pays homage to the original. Hammond writes:
Shot in the same Live Action photo real CGI technique of the 2019 remake, as well as the earlier Jungle Book remake, this edition is visually stunning, the character work even better as the technology grows. Jenkins is not trying to replicate the legendary versions of this world that dazzled moviegoers, and continues to do so in its own magical ways in the never-ending Broadway and global stage productions. Rather he’s steering it into a non-stop action adventure that barely slows down to breathe. It is one nail biting sequence after another, and parents should beware, PG rating aside, this all might be too intense for the youngest family members, especially with the recurring themes of being separated from family.
Aidan Kelly of Collider rates Mufasa: The Lion King 5 out of 10, saying the sequel is better than the 2019 remake with improved visuals and decently catchy songs. However, the story is too predictable and unengaging, and it ultimately feels like another unnecessary remake. More from the critic:
Mufasa: The Lion King really did have the amazing opportunity to expand on two iconic characters. Barry Jenkins makes an admirable effort to genuinely improve on a movie that simply had no reason to exist. Still, while Mufasa might have decent visuals and catchy enough songs, its story is where it and the numerous remakes that preceded it struggle. It’s another prime example that good effects, good acting, and good music aren’t enough when the narrative foundation isn’t strong enough. Fans of the franchise and younger generations will find a lot to like about Mufasa: The Lion King, but it’s hard to imagine it will have a legacy comparable to the original animated classic that started it all.
The critics seem to agree there’s plenty to like in this origin story of two brothers that ultimately led to one of the most tragic Disney deaths, but none was able to call the movie flawless. If you’re looking to hit the theater for Mufasa: The Lion King (or see it in IMAX), you can do so starting on Friday, December 20.