Be Prepared, 'Mufasa: The Lion King' Circles Back to Its Classic ...

From its opening tribute to the late James Earl Jones, Barry Jenkins's Mufasa: The Lion King makes certain to pay care and respect to the 1994 classic, telling the story of Mufasa, known to fans mostly as the catalyst to Simba's journey.  

The film begins with Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) being left in the care of the beloved Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and Timon (Billy Eichner) while her parents, Simba (Donald Glover) and a pregnant Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), are away. When Kiara is frightened by lightning, Rafiki (John Kani) begins to tell the princess the origins of her grandfather — the film's titular character, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre).

For many, Mufasa has served as the archetype of the wise father character, but Jenkins's film rolls back time to when he wasn't so wise. As a young cub, Mufasa plays too close to danger, just as Simba once did.

Armed with much-improved photogenic CGI animation compared to 2019's The Lion King, the film looks smooth and at times genuinely stunning, with expressive facial expressions and expansive vistas shining a light on the franchise's Tanzania-inspired setting.

The film shows Mufasa becoming an orphan after he's separated from his family. Following a chance meeting with a young prince, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), Mufasa is begrudgingly adopted by Taka's parents, the proud leader of the pride Obasi (Lennie James) and the kind mother Eshe (Thandiwe Newton). Distrusted and labelled a stray by Obasi, Mufasa goes through a difficult journey of identity and self-discovery.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical numbers are a welcome addition to the already stacked catalogue of the franchise's original songs. Composers Dave Metzger and Nicholas Britell expertly weave together their score and Miranda's soundtrack with callbacks to fan favourites such as "Under the Stars" and "This Land," which will surely invoke many warm nods of approval from fans of the original.

The film finds its most promising path through the relationship between Mufasa and Taka. The juxtaposition of Taka, later known as Scar, and Mufasa's ideologies is showcased in the song "Always Wanted a Brother" where the prince shows arrogant glee at the idea of one day ruling over other "lesser" animals, and Mufasa the stray instead points toward the equality.

The Outsiders, a pack of banished white lions on the hunt to rule all the light touches, serve as the film's antagonists. Their leader is the menacing Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), the latest addition to Disney's rogue gallery of complicated and charming villains.

As Rafiki teaches Kiara, there are no black-and-white motivations or characters in Mufasa: The Lion King. The Outsiders band together against a hierarchical structure that leaves them rejected by those most similar to them — their prides — yet in their quest to run amok, they become the very thing they hated, a theme present throughout the film in many forms.

Mufasa: The Lion King is not a perfect film, the runtime drags on at some points, the eventual rift between the brothers after the introduction of Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) is weak, and the eventual payoff near the climax of the film is too formulaic.

Yet, the overwhelming feeling as the credits roll evokes one of familiar love, a softness nestled within. Much like Milele where the Pride Lands were built, the film has a place for everyone.