Mufasa: The Lion King tells the story of how Mufasa came to be the Lion King and how Scar became an outcast within the pride. While this seems like an amazing premise for a movie somewhere along the way it lost its path. If you remember The Lion King, Scar was living with the hyenas and had a disdainful hatred towards Mufasa. Although we did not know much about their relationship, it felt that this hatred was just fueled by jealousy. In Mufasa: The Lion King we learn a little bit about the two brothers and what led to Scar being banished from Pride Rock.

Mufasa starts with a dedication to the late James Earl Jones. We are blessed with his baritone voice as he shares his words of wisdom with Simba. It’s a great tribute to the amazing actor and a fantastic way to celebrate his legacy. From here the movie introduces us to a young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) being told of a legendary land by his parents Masega & Afia (Keith David & Anika Noni Rose). Their area is dry and as it starts raining, Mufasa gets in danger and both of his parents attempt to rescue him. Being that this is a Disney movie we could feel that something tragic is going to happen at this moment. 

We see the young Mufasa float along the river and meet a young lion, named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Taka’s mother, Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) takes him in, aware that Taka’s father, Obasi (Lennie James) will not accept him. Mufasa is not treated as an equal and is sent to be with the women of the pride. It is here that Mufasa learns how to hunt and how to be one with the world around him. A lot of the lines said in their moments are repeated in The Lion King movies. We hear about the “Circle of Life” a few times and how “everything the sun touches belongs to me”. 

Throughout the movie, there are tiny interludes with Timon and Pumbaa (Billy Eichner & Seth Rogen) that provide the comedy element to the movie. While these moments are funny they tend to overstay their welcome sometimes. Timon and Pumbaa break the fourth wall a few times and talk about other elements in The Lion King Universe. They mention the Broadway play and not wanting to get sued for singing certain songs. These little moments will help keep the attention of younger kids. 

One thing that I have to address is the music in Mufasa: The Lion King. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the songs for this movie and the songs don’t catch the same magic as the original songs did. “I Always Wanted a Brother” and “Bye Bye” felt a bit cheesy but my son was humming the “Brother” song on the way home. Maybe a second listen to the songs will make me feel different about them but they were just ok for what they were. 

Mufasa: The Lion King is a decent prequel to the Mufasa storyline. While the climax of the movie feels a bit anticlimactic, it does give us some insight into the relationship between Mufasa and Scar. The turn from Taka to Scar felt a little bit rushed and not as impactful as you would expect it to be. 

Final Thoughts: Mufasa felt like it had the potential to be a great prequel but sadly missed the mark. The story of Taka becoming Scar felt a little rushed in the final moments and did not have the impact that you would expect based on the original movie. The songs are enjoyable but like Moana 2, they did not capture the magic of the original movie. Mufasa is an enjoyable movie and kids will have a good time with it. 

Kid-Friendly: The movie does have some elements of danger with the introduction of the white lions. There are scenes of animals fighting that might scare younger viewers. The themes of family, friendship, and legacy will generate some great conversations on the ride home from the movie. 

Violence: There are some fight scenes in the movie between the lions. If your children have seen the previous “live version” of The Lion King, the fights will look familiar. As with most Disney movies, there is a moment when a parent is killed off but that is not shown on screen. 

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.