'Mufasa: The Lion King' Review: A mewling attempt at an epic

The jungle proves a difficult spot for storytelling in spite of a stellar cast

By Akheel Hassan

Published: Sun 22 Dec 2024, 1:13 PM

Last updated: Sun 22 Dec 2024, 1:14 PM

Director: Barry Jenkins

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Cast: Blue Ivy Carter, Mads Mikkelsen, Beyoncé

Rating: 2 out of 5

Disney. The stuff that dreams are made of. The storyteller that taught us that imaginary friends can be a source of inspiration. That being different doesn't mean you'll lose. That to stand out you first must stand strong. Disney has been every child, adolescent, and grown-up’s saviour at some point or the other.

Yeah. Except that never worked for me.

Until recently. I was never a fan of animation or musicals or superhero movies. But then, encouraged by my wife, gently at first, firmly later, I decided to take them on. And you know what, I liked some of them. The Lion King is firmly amongst the top three in the list of films that I have watched more than a few times than I would like to admit.

So, I went into Screen No. 2 at Dubai Hills Mall to watch Mufasa: The Lion King, which also released IMAX and 3D, took my seat, and put down my crêpe, coffee and water with high expectations, both emotional and musical.

Before we get into the details, here’s the plotline. The story is about how Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion and heir to a royal animal kingdom named Taka, and where chance, destiny and unforeseen events take them.

(Bear in mind that in the original movie, The Lion King (1994), Mufasa came from a long line of kings.)

There are a host of beloved returning characters. Rafiki is given the task of telling the story to a young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, in his endearing way. In addition, there are also Sarabi, Nala, Kiara, Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa bringing their signature tone and style to the mix.

The trailer was promising. The line-up of stars involved in production, more so. I had high expectations, for one, because director Barry Jenkins is a master at his art and no wonder, he must have been looking forward to how liberating animation can be when telling a story.

Then there is the music. This task is led by none other than the award-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton and Enchanto fame), original score by Dave Metzger and additional music and vocal performances by Lebo M. And some songs do stand out. Bye, bye is a lovely rallying call or anthem or tune to march to for those harbouring villainous intentions. And I always wanted a brother will stir up emotions for those who have siblings (even those who are frenemies).

The direction still peeks out shyly from behind the manes of the lions sometimes as they are racing away from or racing to something (there's a lot of running around - and a lot of lions in this movie). There are some things that you know the director could have pushed further like the feud between the brothers could have, well, made more sense. At the end, it's Mufasa who comes across as harsh and unforgiving instead of the just ruler he is supposed to be.

The movie uses something called photorealistic animation. Not making the characters from the animal kingdom have anthropomorphic expressions does take some of the charm away because the exaggerated expressions did add to my joy in the original. There’s no fun if the little cub doesn’t break open into a wide-eyed smile that goes from ear to ear. (But I suppose it would be stranger if these animals suddenly began to show very human expressions.)

What I truly miss is that it lacks a moral arc. There is no take home message. Nothing to rally behind. You are just left with a feeling of having been short-changed on the day when you were supposed to have won the lottery that you so eagerly participated in the other day.

The movie is dedicated to the recently deceased James Earl Jones, who voiced Mufasa in the original film. His famous dialogue was among the many timeless statements that are still remembered by many. In this one, there weren’t too many, the one I remember, and maybe am paraphrasing, “It’s not what you were, it’s what you’ve become” does try to the channel the message of not letting your past define you, but it feels like a weakened cup of tea served alongside soggy biscuits.

When the movie ended, there were mixed reactions all around; some clapped. Others, like me, looked a bit puzzled. After all, this film answered questions we never really asked and threw up more questions as the narrative contradicted the first Lion King.

Soon enough it was time to go. A hazy feeling of having watched something that I did not quite see the point of came over me. But that’s the circle of life. And it moves us all. Through despair and hope.

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