Movie: Mufasa: The Lion King

If you’ve ever wondered about the back-story to Disney’s smash-hit The Lion King, then the studio’s latest offering Mufasa: The Lion King is for you.

If you want to see the latest in animation blended with photoreal CGI and live-action filmmaking techniques then the movie will also have great appeal.

And if you’re a fan of the African landscape then the movie gets another tick.

As the name suggests Mufasa: The Lion King explains how Mufasa became king and the reason for the deadly animosity between him and Scar.

We learn the two first met when the very young Mufasa (voiced by Braelyn Rankins as a cub and Aaron Pierre as a lion) is caught in a flood and literally washed away from his parents.

Exhausted and threatened by crocodiles, he is saved by Taka (voiced by Theo Somolu as a cub and then by Kelvin Harrison Jr) who is the heir apparent of another pride.

Taka’s father Obasi (Lennie James) wants to kill Mufasa but Taka’s mother queen Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), persuades Obasi to spare the cub. As a compromise Mufasa is raised by the pride’s females. At the same time Taka and Mufasa grow closer, becoming brothers in all but blood.

Life changes when the pride’s territory is invaded by the Outsiders – a group of albino aggressive lions led by Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen). Their plan to take over doesn’t include survivors!

Obasi and Eshe insist Taka and Mufasa leave the pride before the imminent attack. Their destination is Milele, a magnificent area Mufasa’s parents once spoke of.

Mufasa: The Lion King then follows their journey which takes the pair over a landscape that includes dry flat land, raging waterfalls and snow-capped mountains.  Along the way they meet the horn bill Zazu (Preston Nyman), young lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) and mandrill Rafiki (John Kani). At the same time they are being relentlessly pursued by the Outsiders.

While conditions are tough Taka and Mufasa aren’t doing too badly until Taka decides he is in love with Sarabi.  While Mufasa tries to encourage the ‘romance’ Sarabi’s heart belongs to Mufasa – and so we have the reason for the conflict between the two former ‘brothers’. And we discover how Taka became Scar.

We learn of their story through flashbacks as told by Rafiki to Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala’s (Beyoncé) daughter, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter). Rafiki together with meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner) and warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) are babysitting Kiara while their parents are away on an important mission which we discover when they return with a brother for Kiara.

As with the original movie, music is a major component of Mufasa: The Lion King with Lin-Manuel Miranda writing seven new songs.  They include I Always Wanted a Brother, Brother Betrayed, We Go Together and Bye Bye. At times watching lions sing these songs seems rather strange, possibly due to how realistic they look at times.

Even more realistic is the scenery thanks to the digital imagining of African terrain. Areas of Southern Africa including Botswana and Victoria Falls together with the East Coast in and around Kenya provided the inspiration.

As a result Mufasa: The Lion King ticks all the boxes of a successful family movie. It looks great and has plenty of action scenes and comic moments.

Mufasa: The Lion King is now playing in cinemas.

*Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.