Disney’s “Mufasa” portrays the struggle of not fitting in as well as the true bond of family, friends and love (unconditional vs. conditional). The film fits the description of a true Disney film with the cheery life of united characters and the bright cheesy dreams of the future. Old and new fans alike are eager to watch this new take in honor of James Earl Jones, Mufasa’s original voice actor.
Disney’s “Mufasa” is a 3D animated prequel aimed towards a new hyper photorealistic take on Disney’s 2019 “The Lion King” film. The prequel aims a farfetched backstory of Simba’s father Mufasa and Simba’s uncle Scar, who will soon be known as Taka.The story is a well planned memorial for James Earl Jones, the original Mufasa voice actor in the 1994 film, who has passed away at the old age of 94.
Disney’s “Mufasa” is one of the few action-packed Disney films where the cast faces countless challenges in search of a mystical and peaceful land called Milele. With the story being told by the old baboon Rafiki, many fans settle into their seats with a quiet thanks that the original cast Pumbaa and Timon will not be telling the story of this epic adventure. Rafiki tells the story to Simba’s daughter, Kiara, as well as Pumbaa, Timon, and the rest of the audience.
The story starts with Mufasa, voiced by Braelyn Rankins and later Aaron Pierre, who finds himself lost and far from his parents after a flood. The arrival of a new cub who introduces himself as Taka, voiced by Theo Somolu and later Kelvin Harrison Jr., quickly saves Mufasa from being eaten by crocodiles.
Later the cast expands with the arrival of the film’s main villain, Kiros, voiced by Mads Mikkelsen, a pure white lion with a hunger for power and revenge. His son, who was killed by Mufasa in an act of defense to save his adoptive mother, is the main reason Kiros wants to find and kill Mufasa. Kiros’ first song is one plenty of old fans cringe at while new fans find themselves chuckling at. Thankfully, the embarrassing song was already backed up by three beautiful and engaging songs, including; “Ngomso”, “Milele” and “I Always Wanted a Brother”.
Fans, reviewers and even cast have found the countless interruptions by Pumbaa and Timon during the story to be more exhausting than comically funny and enjoyable like the last 2019 film of “The Lion King”. This setback is tolerable thanks to Kiara and Rafiki finding ways to regain interest of fans after Pumbaa and Timon’s annoying butt ins.
Later in the film, Taka’s villain arc seems rushed and completely improvised, as if animators were running out of time and budget to find an actual reason for the eventual betrayal between both brothers. Another song, this time sung by Taka, blows the audience into a state of shock with amazing vocals by Kelvin Harrison Jr. in his song “Brother Betrayed”. The movie’s new take on musical interpretation is something fans did not see coming as only two songs within the soundtrack seem to break the original tradition of “The Lion King”.
The movie is definitely an amazing memorial for James Earl Jones, reviews might criticize the film for not being as ‘cartoony’ as the original “The Lion King” but Disney and older fans seem to recognize that this film is supposed to be respectful to James’ passing. The photorealism of the film is incredibly gorgeous, making the movie a heap of eye candy at its displays of beautiful African wildlife.
Without question “Mufasa” definitely makes for an incredible film for new and old fans, with the pacing and childlike bonds, the movie is perfect for all of Disney’s fans. Even if the film does not fit the fancy of reviewers, the beauty of the graphics and scenic displays will be enough to blow any audience away.