When I entered the theater to watch this movie, not a single person sat in any of the other seats. I guessed it was because nobody likes live-action adaptations (or because it was 4 p.m. on a Thursday).
Surprisingly, the live-action format didn’t bother me at all. “Mufasa: The Lion King” was a spectacular prequel to Disney’s original animated “The Lion King” (1994), which is still one of the most popular family movies. The plot of the original movie is about a young cub named Simba, destined to become king of the jungle after his father, Mufasa. Mufasa dies at the hands of his villain brother Scar, and this betrayal is exactly what “Mufasa: The Lion King” unpacks in a gloriously emotional and humane way.
The movie is directed by Barry Jenkins and features composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who incorporates catchy, musical-esque songs like “I Always Wanted a Brother.” Cast members Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Taka, Mufasa’s brother), and Tiffany Boone (Sarabi) deliver emotional, convincing vocal performances of their respective characters.
Over the course of the 2-hour movie, I grew to love the spectacular savannah scenery, expressive voices and nostalgic music. Though live action usually flops in comparison to traditional animation, the smooth CGI and dynamic colors enhance the emotional backstory behind Mufasa.
At first, I thought it was cliche that the backstory was built on the wise Rafiki telling Simba’s cub Kiara about the story of Mufasa, which seemed like an unnecessary premise. It felt like an immature writer finishing a story with “it was all just a dream.” But then again, this storytelling format really gave the vibes of old Disney when kids were huddled around a storyteller.
Iconic characters Sarabi, Zazu and Rafiki from the original Lion King are introduced through Mufasa’s adventures after being swept away in a flood and becoming a “stray” lion. He tries to reach a foretold paradise called Milele, a word meaning always or eternity in Swahili. This is the same location where the 1994 movie is set. I gasped, seeing the familiar Pride Rock fall into place and the beautiful way that the light touches all on the horizon.
Mufasa first meets Taka, who is from another territory, which is evident by their different accents. They become brothers and eventually leave Taka’s pride for the sake of protecting them from attack. This is when they meet Sarabi — a stray lioness who accidentally tears apart Taka and Mufasa’s strong brotherhood.
Taka falls in love with Sarabi, but she is drawn to Mufasa’s loyalty and perceptiveness. This plot device was quite obvious, but honestly, anyone who has been in a love triangle can feel the pain through the screen. On a snowy mountain, dramatic shots feature Taka watching from a distance as Mufasa and Sarabi snuggle, and thus begins Taka’s villain arc. Taka betrays Mufasa and helps the “Outsiders” — an enemy pride whose leader wants to become king of all — to their location.
In a heart-wrenching moment where Mufasa is about to be killed by the leader, Taka unexpectedly dives in and protects Mufasa from a deathly swipe, earning his signature scar on his eye. At that moment, I realized Taka had become Scar, and this was the two brothers’ origin story. I felt like screaming. I finally understood Scar’s identity as a villain — he wasn’t really. He was just hurt by love like we all are.
There is one scene where Taka/Scar dug his claws into Mufasa’s paws, and instead of flinging him off the cliff like in the 1994 movie, he saves his brother. It is a perfect representation of how villains aren’t inherently evil, but rather, they are a product of bitter life events that are often just unfair.
Motif soundtracks from the 1994 movie appeared at key points in the movie, reminding me of the connections between Mufasa’s story and the lion generations later. The soundtracks were beautiful, apart from one annoying musical number by the “Outsiders,” where the leader kept singing “Bye-bye” in a moment where the lions were about to tear each other to pieces.
This movie navigates very human feelings of betrayal and love on a deeper level than the original 1994 movie. The live-action’s tense depiction of the fights, with rushing water as a recurring motif, really tugs at my heartstrings. In the end, when we see Mufasa becoming King and letting Taka/Scar only occupy a certain part of the land, I feel like I finally recognized Mufasa’s role as king in a way I hadn’t before.
Overall, my minor complaints of obvious plot lines and cheesy songs pale in importance to the movie’s emotional impact. I love it when a movie gets better as you watch it, and I left the movie theater with a profound feeling of respect for how villains are written.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Falcons.
