Disney’s latest prequel to its photorealistic remake of 1994’s The Lion King is a contrived cash-in that fails to pick up momentum. Director Barry Jenkins, known for his Oscar-winning Moonlight, can’t salvage this mess with the help of talented artists Lin-Manuel Miranda and a star-studded cast.
The film’s attempt to create an egalitarian origin story for Mufasa, played by Aaron Pierre, undermines the franchise’s original premise that Simba is the rightful king. Instead, we get a meandering narrative about Mufasa’s childhood trauma, which raises more questions than it answers. The CGI animals and scenery are less impressive than their 2019 counterparts, and the voice cast struggles to keep up with the quality of its predecessors.
The screenplay by Jeff Nathanson is dull and formulaic, relying on tedious soul-searching conversations and comic relief interruptions that fall flat. Even the usually reliable cast can’t elevate this material, making Mufasa’s misadventure a disappointing addition to the Lion King franchise.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Source: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20241217-mufasa-the-lion-king-review