“Mufasa: The Lion King” Review

Mufasa is spoken of in this prequel film as the fastest lion around. That much is true of this film, never slowing down to take a single breath in its breakneck approach to lineage and love triangles. But the rattling of dialogue and speedy editing leaves no room for chemistry, making the politics of the animal kingdom come off as dry as a Shakespeare production speedrunning its lines.

The story is told in Princess Bride style, with the wise mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) regaling Simba’s daughter with the tale of her grandfather, Mufasa. The young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) suffers a similar dose of pathos when a flood separates him from his parents. He finds protection from another lion tribe, where he is favored by Prince Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Despite his father’s bitterness, Taka convinces his parents to let Mufasa stay and act as the brother he always wanted. The two of them are best friends until it becomes clear that Mufasa has more skills in tracking and better leadership. That jealousy only increases when they are forced on an adventure to seek a paradise.

The premise is not bad, as the film wants to be about a band of animal outsiders who bonded over a quest across rocky deserts and snowy mountains. A love triangle forms when the prospect of mating with newcomer Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) becomes possible. Oneness with nature is explored when a young Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga) joins the characters after being banished by his tribe. The eccentric hornbill bird Zazu (Preston Nyman) is also present for some mild comic relief as the bird who takes his duties absurdly seriously. The problem is that most of these additions to the journey don’t arrive until halfway into the film and jump onto the scene abruptly. With little time to get to know them, there’s never a chance to let the jealousy and romance simmer, making the drama feel more obligatory than building.

It doesn’t help that the villain of this film is nothing all that special. Pursuing Mufasa’s crew on this trek is the vengeful lion, Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen). He wants revenge for Mufasa killing his son in self-defense, but there’s not much more to him than that. Sure, he growls, sneers, and speaks with vicious declarations of brutality and dominance. But his personality is so bland that his villain song (something missing from the last CGI Lion King) is not all that alluring neither does it expand his character. Kiros’s “Bye Bye” is no “Be Prepared” from the original Lion King. While Scar sang about his ambitions to rule, Kiros sings about how he will kill other lions.

There’s a sensation that this Lion King film was diced up from a meatier story to fit a theater-satisfying two-hour running time. This is especially true of the first act which blazes through all of its key plotpoints that it never has a moment that doesn’t feel like exposition. It becomes hard to feel for the plight of Mufasa when moments of great drama seem as though they’re already transitioning to the next scene, akin to an award show playing off winners with speeches too long. The best scene is where Mufasa tries to help Taka woo Sarabi by commenting on her smells, in a sweet and silly that feels like the film channeling Cyrano de Bergerac. The film needed more moments like this, but no time for any of that character chemistry. There’s not even time for Mufasa to have meaningful dreams about his parents and the circle of life, as the film settles for quick flashback bursts that frequent Mufasa’s mind.

Considering the film is framed from Rafiki’s point of view, it feels less like he’s telling a wondrous tale of a king ascension and more like a skimming of Mufasa’s Wikipedia page. There’s also an off tone to this film with the additions of the comedic Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumba (Seth Rogen) providing side commentary on Rafiki’s story. They have a few funny jabs, but it is telling that the bulk of their jokes are meta, highlighting how highly they regard the local play of Simba’s story and the popularity of their iconic song. These are not bad jokes, but they also feel like throwaway gags from a much different movie. Much like Mufasa’s journey, Timon and Pumba needed more absurd moments, as when they initially rewrite the story of Scar’s demise being the work of the silly duo.

Mufasa is so frantic that its musical journey of legacy and love feels more like a summary than an epic. The lack of letting that character chemistry boil makes the many of the solid songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda feel weirdly hallow in their impact. The decent visuals of colorful landscapes and attacking lions feel empty when populated with characters more notable for their actions than their personalities. Everything here just seems to go through the motions, and it never takes a moment to slow down and smell the wonder of a family film with a love triangle and sordid feud over birthright. There’s a lot that Mufasa could improve upon, from its questionable camera choices to a better focus on the circle of life. But one thing this needed more than anything was brakes.