Mufasa: The Lion King Movie Review: The film that heralds Christmas at Disney arrives in theaters on December 18. Five years after Jon Favreau's live-action based on the 1994 animated film of the same name, Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) is at the helm of a new, unedited origin story about Mufasa's rise to power and the defeat of his half-brother Scar. In the Italian version with the voices of Luca Marinelli (Mufasa), Elodie (Sarabi), and Alberto Boubakar Malanchino (Scar/Taka). Below we report our opinion.
Mufasa Movie Story:
While Simba and Nala are about to give birth to a new cub, the firstborn Kiara is entrusted to the care of the clumsy but affectionate Timon and Pumba. To entertain her, the two tell the lion cub a series of unlikely stories. When Rafiki arrives, he reveals the story of his grandfather, Mufasa, born to Masego and Afia, who moved away until he reached the territory of the rude Obasi and the far-sighted Eshe.
Parents of what becomes his half-brother, Taka. Crown prince, but shy and insecure, he bonds with the newcomer, with whom he shares many adventures. Including that of leaving in search of a promised land. Initially to escape a cruel and ruthless enemy, then increasingly towards a destiny that will lead them to become the main protagonists of the saga.
Mufasa The Lion King Movie Analysis:
The announcement of a prequel to the story of The Lion King was not particularly well received, but the waters began to change when an acclaimed director, Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, fresh from the global success of Moonlight and the beautiful television series The Underground Railroad, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, was chosen to helm the project.
Five years after Jon Favreau's live-action, already particularly criticized at the time, not so much for the film itself but for the directorial choice to create real talking animals through the use of CGI, Mufasa proposes the same visual system (a little improved) not without that "uncanny valley" effect, remaining too tied to a hyper-realistic imagery that makes the characters lose their expressiveness and creates a strong detachment with the viewer.
Jenkins himself, until now a director of personal and independent projects, for the first time finds himself at the mercy of a studio whose impositions weigh on the author's creative freedom, and although the film, compared to its predecessor, tends towards a more intimate side, it fails in its general intent.
Although with a better staging than the previous film, the direction is quite subdued, and uninspired, and the management of the characters is not always focused. The film is also a musical, which requires a different dynamism compared to canonical films, which is completely absent here, with musical scenes and songs that are not very catchy and memorable.
Mufasa in fact lives very much in the shadow of his predecessor with continuous thematic and musical references that make the originality that the project deserved lost, thus losing that naturalness that characterized the 1994 film and which in turn did not characterize the 2019 live-action. With themes that range too quickly from family to friendship, to inclusion, to leadership, to betrayal, and love, what is missing is the true heart of a film that should have told the story of a character full of wisdom and values, but which turns out to be a decidedly predictable and uninspired path.
How uninspired is the bond between the two half-brothers Mufasa and Taka/Scar. What should have been the core of the narrative, first brotherhood, then betrayal, envy, and abandonment is simplified becoming almost superfluous, despite the potential that a character like Taka actually has on paper. The result is a conflict between the two that is not very deep and based on motivations too futile to have created such resentment.
A decidedly lighter approach is thus preferred even on themes that could have been much more exciting, also given the starting point of the original story which in itself is very deep and based on philosophical foundations. Mufasa is thus a sort of chosen one, without ifs and buts, with a very specific task and a hero's journey that is too automatic and devoid of real growth. The theme of leadership should also have played a fundamental role, but this does not happen, confirming the characters as either completely positive or completely negative, without a middle ground with which to doubt, tune in, or conflict.
Another great character that has been forgotten is Sarabi, Simba's mother, and Mufasa's companion. In the prequel, she should have had an important role even just in the formation and growth of Mufasa's character, but unfortunately, she remains relegated to a simple plot accessory, without any real development or characterization other than "the one who fell in love with the future king". Sarabi could have been a bridge between the two brothers, trying to calm their rivalries. Certainly, such a role would have given greater depth to the character, showing her attempt to preserve harmony within the royal family.
Mufasa: The Lion King thus presents itself as a film that wants to expand the narrative universe of one of the most beloved Disney classics, resulting in a film that lacks depth and true innovation. The absence of real narrative depth, the simplistic approach to the themes of destiny and leadership, and the failure to exploit the emotional potential of the characters, such as Sarabi and Taka (Scar), make this prequel devoid of soul.
The predictable plot fails to add anything meaningful to the figure of Mufasa, a character who should represent the emotional and moral center of the film. Instead of expanding the mythology of The Lion King with new perspectives or reflections, the film simply reiterates clichés and messages already seen, devoid of the emotional impact and complexity that made the 1994 classic a timeless masterpiece.
Summary
Mufasa: The Lion King presents itself as a film that wants to expand the narrative universe of one of the most beloved Disney classics, resulting in a film that lacks depth and true innovation. The lack of real narrative depth, the simplistic approach to the themes of destiny and leadership, and the failure to exploit the emotional potential of the characters, such as Sarabi and Taka (Scar), make this prequel devoid of soul.
The predictable plot fails to add anything meaningful to the figure of Mufasa, a character who should represent the emotional and moral center of the film. Rather than expand the mythology of The Lion King with new perspectives or insights, the film simply rehashes familiar tropes and messages, lacking the emotional impact and complexity that made the 1994 classic a timeless masterpiece.
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