In Mufasa, Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins sells out to the Mouse House and yet does what you’d expect Barry Jenkins to do: give us a good movie.
Sure, Mufasa: A Lion King story isn’t another Jenkins classic (he directed the Best Picture-winning movie La La Land, and also the excellent If Beale Street Could Talk). And yes, it’s doubtful it will win over those who absolutely loathe Disney’s creatively inert mining of its children’s franchises.
And yet, as someone who detested The Lion King remake and its amazing ability to be inferior to the original project in every way and form, Mufasa: The Lion King successfully stands on its own four legs and roars defiantly at the audience, “I am a halfway decent movie even if I am still a waste of Barry Jenkins’ undeniable talent!” Meow.
Aside from Jenkins’ involvement, the movie benefits tremendously from being its own standalone story. Sure, no one was clamoring for a prequel that focuses on Mufasa, but this one isn’t a painful reimagining of an animated classic. It’s its own story—even if it is fairly predictable—with a treacherous villain and surprisingly effective action sequences. It’s bigger and a little bit nastier than its predecessor…
…and my six-year-old absolutely loved it. She covered her eyes a few times when things got intense (fingers apart so she could still watch), jumped when something unexpected happened, and mostly sat mouth agape taking it all in. It was fun to watch her experience it, and it was fun not to hate my life for two hours (Mufasa doesn’t feel too long, but let’s not pretend that a kid’s movies about lions should be any longer than 100 minutes). As a fan of the Lion King TV shows and direct-to-video sequels, she also was excited to see all the pieces most of us have no idea previously existed on the big screen in “live action.”
The musical numbers aren’t amazing but work well enough for the movie, though they are still hampered by the film’s real-looking animals and the limitations they bring. There are some funny parts. And Jenkins brings the spectacle when needed, with some impressively grand sequences and an earth-shaking climax.
Mufasa: The Lion King isn’t anything to roar home about, and yet you maybe can tell from this review that I am astounded that Jenkins was able to make a respectable movie in spite of the variables working against him. I hate to admit it, but… Mufasa is… ahem… a good movie.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.