“Mufasa: The Lion King” Delivers Magic

Mufasa: The Lion King (Barry Jenkins, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars

With a director like Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk), it is no surprise that Mufasa: The Lion King is imbued with magnificent cinematic value. After 2019’s vividly beautiful but narratively flat The Lion King that did not quite live up to its 1994 original, the bar was raised to see a continuation of the “live action” version of this well-trod tale. Luckily, Jenkins delivers a tremendous story, and while some moments preceding the film’s climax start to fall short, overall Mufasa: The Lion King breathes exceptional life into the narrative, serving simultaneously as a great prequel and sequel to the legend.

The film is told from the point of view of Rafiki (John Kani, Black Panther), as he tells young Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter, Black Is King)—the son of Simba (Donald Glover, Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, aka Beyoncé)—the story about how her grandfather, the great king Mufasa (originally played by the late James Earl Jones), went from an orphaned cub to the King of Pride Rock. All the while, Rafiki must deal with Timon (Billy Eichner, Bros) and Pumba (Seth Rogan, Kung Fu Panda 4), who proceed to comfort Kiara during a terrible storm (while Simba and Nala are away). The story then jumps to a young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre, Brother), as he is separated from his mother and father by a massive flood, ultimately rescued by his future brother, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr., Cyrano). The story balances Mufasa and Taka’s tremendous journey in the past with Rafiki/Timon/Pumba narrating to young Kiara.

Initially, Mufasa: The Lion King is nothing short of an epic adventure, staying true to characters we know and love, and expanding on what is an enchanting exploration of Mufasa’s journey to “Milele,” a heavenly place beyond the sunrise. What’s absolutely the heart and soul of the film is Mufasa and Taka, two brothers who share a love (and several songs), and the rise and fall of their relationship as they are both introduced to Sarabi (Tiffany Boone, The Midnight Sky), a young Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga, The Umbrella Men), and Zazu (Preston Nyman, Crooked House). It’s a truly powerhouse cast of voices, with visually stunning effects and a script that showcases the value of family and community.

Nevertheless, the score and soundtrack, while adequate, were not as strong as the original Lion King music and relied heavily on revamped compositions from the original. As the film reaches its final acts, there is a lot of fluff that serves as a crutch to get us to the end. Certain convenient sequences in the conclusion stand out (and not in a good way), after Jenkins has spent the first two-thirds of the film taking his time to impressively build Mufasa’s world.

While Disney’s hyper-realistic animation has certainly saturated its recent content, this film’s creators have clearly given attention to premise, narrative structure, and more. Not only does this leave for compelling characters in Jenkins’ story, but it reinforces those characters for the next time a viewer may watch The Lion King. To some pleasant surprise, the movie serves up endearing moments, adventures, laughs, and bittersweet tears to create a powerful work for all to enjoy.

Adam Vaughn

Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.