Last night I was at an early screening of the film, Mufasa: The Lion King. We got an idea of what the premise would be a few months ago at the D23 Fan Event in Anaheim. This film is a backstory on the early days of Mufasa and Scar, to show movie goers how they came to be and where the animosity stemmed from. This was intriguing to me because like with most things, there’s always more to the story. My hopes were high, Lin-Manuel Miranda did the music, the CGI looked extremely impressive and Disney storytelling is usually a hit. I walked out of the theater feeling so conflicted and well, disappointed if I’m being completely honest. Keep reading to find out exactly why. Spoilers are ahead so please keep that in mind! Here we go!
SPOILERS AHEAD
As the theater goes dark and the opening starts rolling, you’ll see a dedication to Disney legend, James Earl Jones, who sadly passed this year. This was very touching and appropriate, as he was the voice of Mufasa in The Lion King. The crowd applauded and I may or may not have gotten a bit teary eyed, it was very nice. Then the film proceeds.
Timon, Pumbaa & Rafiki are asked to look after Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara. While they are gone, Rafiki begins to tell her the story of her Grandfather, Mufasa.
The story begins with Mufasa being a child with his parents, which was very sweet. The situation quickly turns to sadness and tragedy, and just rolls from there. This movie is extremely intense and violent with dark undertones, it’s something that is definitely not for smaller children in my opinion. (I personally wouldn’t take my nephews to see it). Mufasa finds another home, and Taka (Scar) takes him in as his brother. This also starts out on a fun and happy note.
In true Disney fashion, things do not remain happy for long. There is danger afoot, in the form of a gang of white lions, the outsiders. This crew is extremely intimidating and a bit too intense. Again, this would be scary for a young child to watch as it continues throughout the film. As a grown adult, my anxieties were running high. The white lions hunted and tracked Mufasa, Taka, Rafiki & Zazu for the entire film with the intent to kill them. I won’t say why because I don’t want to spoil everything . Kiros leads the group of white lions on a quest for revenge, but of course has to sing a song first. It’s so bad, but more about that later.
Mufasa and friends are on a quest to find a magical place that his mother spoke of, which is a place to fulfill his destiny and be “home.” The white lions also want to take over this location with the intent of killing the others who are there. The animals band together to fight them. Yes, I’m being a bit vague but I honestly don’t want to ruin the full story for anyone. So it’s intense, violent and a bit dark… but the music has to be a high point of the film, right? Oh how I wish. We find out how Taka (Scar) and Mufasa go from being family to being enemies. The final straw for Scar was fighting over a female. Yes, really.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is gifted when it comes to the music he makes. Look at Encanto or Hamilton as examples. I love so much about him and what he does so I had extremely high expectations for the music in Mufasa. I’m sad to say, it’s a swing and a miss, which surprised me. Even after the movie, others in the hallway (and restroom) were commenting on how disappointed they were with the music. The song the evil Kiros sings almost kills his scary vibe. Let’s just say he says “bye bye” a lot in a juvenile manner. It was so cringy, I couldn’t wait for it to stop. Taka and Mufasa as cubs sing a song about being brothers which is also a hard listen. Everyone in our group felt the same, just stop it. The movie would’ve been better without the music truthfully, it just missed the mark.
The story of Mufasa had so much potential and the opportunity to explain more about an already beloved story, The Lion King. Disney took a much harsher approach to the story that could surprise movie goers. They could have let up on the violence and it would have been much better to watch.
I have to say, I’m a bit soft hearted and don’t like films with so much sadness and death. Even when it’s just for suspense or dramatic effects. If my kids were small, I would not have taken them to see this movie. Nor my nephews who are 3 & 6. They’d cry. The movie itself is visually beautiful with amazing scenes. They did a great job on that. But overall, Mufasa: The Lion King is a one and done for me. Disney films are my favorite, but sadly I don’t feel that this one will become a classic like its predecessor. Of course, you may feel differently, I respect that. I just felt compelled to speak my truth on this movie and express concerns about its content.
Are you planning to see Mufasa: The Lion King over the holidays? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you do!
Cast—
Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprise their roles from the remake; new cast members include Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, and Blue Ivy Carter in her feature film debut.
Mufasa Stars Reveal Final Trailer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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