4.5/5
Review by Michele E. Hawkins.
Mufasa (voiced by Braelyn Rankins as a cub and by Aaron Pierre as a young lion), the Lion King of Pridelands whom we first met in the 1994 animation and then the 2019 remake using 3D animation, was once a playful cub cared for by his loving mother and father. But one fateful day a dreadful flood separated Mufasa from his parents, sweeping him away to inadvertently trespass on the lands of another pride. Thankfully, Mufasa was helped by Taka (Theo Somolu as a cub and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a young lion), the cub son of that pride’s king, and thereafter newfound friends Mufasa and Taka begin the transition from cubs to young lions in the pride.
But Mufasa and Taka’s mutual loyalty is tested and tested again when the pride comes under threat from invasion by a larger, more aggressive pride. How they respond and how they eventually find their way to Mufasa’s original pride are the backbone of their story as told by a wise mandrill, Rafiki (John Kani as narrator and Kagiso Lediga as the young Rafiki) to Mufasa’s granddaughter, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carte), and her two irrepressibly cheeky babysitters, the warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and the meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner).
Like those of the 2019 remake of The Lion King, the visuals in Mufasa: The Lion King are outstanding, with remarkably accurate representations of each major character, down to the length and “feel” of hair, eye colouration, musculature, and species-specific movements. An essentially human story drawing on what makes us tick and reaches the heart, as all effective animation does, the animation makes all these details especially appealing through subtle anthropomorphism in facial and eye expression and interactions between and within species. Just as impressive is the careful detail in making scenery photorealistic, from the intimacy of the dark, protective cave in which Rafiki recounts the tale to the flowering lush plains of Mufasa’s first months of life and later locations in arid lands, rivers and their surrounds, and snow-covered mountain slopes.
A beautifully created film with plenty of emotion and tension, especially for younger viewers who may not be old enough to realise that Mufasa will of course succeed, Mufasa: The Lion King has broad appeal. The music and singing don’t, for me, match the power of the songs in the 1994 original, especially Elton’s John’s “Circle of Life”, but certainly are high quality. Nevertheless, this is a film of enormous charm. It celebrates loyalty, bravery, compassion, wisdom, and love, but is also tremendous fun, courtesy of the antics of the African red-billed hornbill Zazu (Preston Nyman), Pumbaa, and Timon. And it’s sure to renew viewers’ love for Mufasa and enhance appreciation of the importance of cooperation in nature.