Disney’s 1994 film “The Lion King” is universally beloved, with its iconic soundtrack, distinct voice-acting and well-known plot showcasing Simba as he takes back his homeland from Scar. In 2019, Disney remade the movie in a very realistic animation style. Five years later, in December, 2024, they released a prequel entitled “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which tells the backstory of Simba’s father Mufasa.
The movie begins where the original one ended, with Simba (Donald Glover) as the new lion king. To get to Mufasa’s backstory being told, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), the daughter of Simba, goes up to Rafiki (John Kani) and asks for the story of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre). Fan-favorites Puumba (Seth Rogen) and Timon (Billy Eichner) are also present and give commentary throughout the movie.
The story starts with a tragedy, as Mufasa and his parents are swept away in a flood. He is rescued by a lion cub named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr), who helps him get adopted into his family, even though Taka’s father, Obasi (Lennie James), does not accept him. Years later, while Mufasa and Taka’s mother, Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), are hunting, they are attacked by two white lions under the order of Kiros (Mads Mikkelson), and Mufasa takes one out. Kiros hears this news and starts hunting Mufasa and the other lions. Hearing this news, Eshe and Obasi quickly tell Mufasa and Taka to get as far away as possible, and to find a place called Milele. The rest of the movie follows Mufasa and Taka escaping Kiros and the white lions while also searching for Milele. They are also joined by notable characters in their adventure, those characters being Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), Zazu (Preston Nyman), and Rafiki.
This movie was a very enjoyable watch, with a significant twist at the end that’s worth finishing the movie for. The only criticism I had about this movie was that the pacing seemed off at points. Some specific moments felt quick, while other moments were unnecessarily stretched out, making it confusing at points. However, there were many other aspects I enjoyed about this film. One of them being the world-building and animation was truly stunning. It looked and felt so realistic – at some points it seemed like you were watching a documentary, not a fictional movie (minus the animals talking). The voice acting was also incredible. The actors in this movie did an amazing job sounding exactly like how the original characters sounded in the 1994 “Lion King.” Another thing to point out was the music and songs in the movie. They were written by Lin Manuel Miranda, so naturally they were very catchy. And while I was sad there was no Hakuna Matata reprise, the new music in this movie definitely made up for it. Some notable ones were I Always Wanted a Brother, Bye Bye, and Tell Me It’s You.
If you are interested in diving deeper and learning more about the backstory of Mufasa, this movie tells you the eye-opening adventure through the beautiful landscapes of the pridelands. It is definitely worth a watch.
