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Plot: What’s it about?
I can likely guess that not many people were demanding a Lion King prequel but here we are. The film (which is currently still in theaters as of this writing) was a modest hit but didn’t come anywhere close to the numbers of the 2019 remake. Still, word of mouth carried it a bit. I can say that ultimately I found it a fun and certainly visually stunning flick that I at least liked more than I probably should have. It’s too long and the songs didn’t do a lot for me, but the action and visuals help carry it.
Directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) this time we follow a young Mufasa’s rise to power. There is a disaster and Mufasa believes his parents to be dead. Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) takes him under his wing. Also back this time are Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) with their usual antics. It’s fine for a while, but the film works best when it focuses on the title character and his interaction with the others. There are a lot of plot mechanics here and various characters, but viewers can discover this on their own as I won’t drown this review in redundancy discussing the plot in too much depth. Being a prequel might take a lot of the suspense away as well, but it is still refreshing to at least have something different than what we got back in 2019, which was essentially a remake of the animated film from the 90’s.
I feel viewers should have some idea what to expect not just with the feature being a prequel but also having the 2019 film recently. In terms of visuals and style, one can have an idea what to expect. I felt that the CGI here was somewhat better as it looked more authentic and lifelike. Truthfully, I am glad I sat down to watch this film as others took its place for me to see in theaters, but I enjoyed it for what it is. It needs tightening and the music wasn’t my favorite, but the film mostly moves along nicely and kept me involved with it. I am clearly not the intended audience, but it kept me with it overall.
Video: How’s it look?
In terms of visuals, this is a no-brainer as the transfer was quite stunning. I have no negatives, so I just know that this is bound to look stunning on your setup. I can imagine the only ones who’ll have issues will be those trying their best to nitpick it as the colors, details and all appearing in such clarity and rich detail.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD Master Audio track also worked wonders. The roaring background and lighting strikes and they all created such a strong atmosphere. I wondered at times if it was storming outside as that is just how good the audio quality was here. Of course, the vocals have the clarity I expect as well. Like the transfer, this track satisfies.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Full Length Sing-Along – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
- Finding Milele: The Making of Mufasa: The Lion King – Join visionary director Barry Jenkins and the cast of Mufasa: The Lion King on an epic journey to create a brand-new chapter in the story of The Lion King. Explore how the story was developed and the technology used to make Mufasa’s world come to life.
- Songs of the Savanna – Director Barry Jenkins and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda sit down to discuss the excitement and challenges of creating the music for Mufasa: The Lion King.
- Ostrich Eggs with Timon & Pumbaa – Timon and Pumbaa reveal fun facts and some of the hidden references in the movie.
- Outtakes – Watch the cast having fun in the recording booth.
- Deleted Scenes:
- Who’s the Mole Rat?
- What Do You Feel in There?
- Have Faith in Her
- Taka’s Dream
- Music Video: “I Always Wanted a Brother” – Join Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Mufasa: The Lion King as they perform “I Always Wanted A Brother” backstage at a film shoot.
- Song Selections:
- Milele (First Rain)
- I Always Wanted a Brother
- Bye Bye
- We Go Together
- Tell Me It’s You
- Brother Betrayed
- Protect the Pride – Learn how Disney and The Lion Recovery Fund are working to protect the pride and conserve lions in the wild.
The Bottom Line
Redundant could certainly be a word to describe this prequel as I seriously doubt there was a high demand for it. That being said, it did bring me into this world, and one can’t deny such strong visuals as well. I also found it a bit refreshing when compared to the 2019 remake which simply copied the original 90’s version. It may not be something I need to revisit often, but it’s worth a single viewing. I’d imagine the young viewers will have it on constantly.
