I stand by the fact that if OUAT had done a Lion King episode, Mufasa would be Scar’s tragic backstory. (Or, as I was so fond of calling those villain-origin episodes: here’s how this character’s entire family tragically died!)
But I digress. Let’s go back to the media that started it all, and I’m not talking about Hamlet.
THE LION KING (1994)
Can anything new be said about this classic?
Looking back, I don’t think I ever watched this movie as a young child – I had a habit of reading the Disney movie picture books and declaring that I had no need of the movies now. (I wasn’t trying to be “not like other girls,” but “not like anyone else.”) But when I finally did watch TLK – probably when my sister was in a musical production of it – I was instantly enamored. Who wasn’t, really?
The music is still the most beautiful and perfect soundtrack to ever grace the screen. Elton John and Phil Collins are far too talented for their own good. That beginning scene is one of the best film openers of all time, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is still one of my favorite love ballads. It makes me feel things every time I hear it. And “Be Prepared” is such a deliciously devious villain song!
On my first watch, I distinctly remember telling my sister, “Scar is so evil!” in genuine shock. Yeah, I’d known he was the villain, but for him to so casually plan the murder of two babies and then blame Simba for Mufasa’s death… I mean, damn, this guy is Cruella-level cruel!
My one critique would be this: In the final scene, when Scar is about to kill Simba, he whispers to Simba “I killed Mufasa.” This revelation gives Simba the strength to fight back and defeat his uncle. However, I’ve always disliked this moment. It’s unbelievably stupid for Scar to show his hand at this point in the game, and it’s a little convenient for Simba to be washed free of guilt before he enters this last showdown. I would’ve preferred if Scar said something along the lines of “what would your father think of you now?” or “Mufasa would be so ashamed of you.” Then, Simba could realize that that’s not true, and he needs to defeat Scar and save his pride to honor his father’s name. Of course, the “I killed Mufasa” reveal should still come up, but having Simba fight back against Scar before learning the truth would make for a stronger moment, in my humble opinion.
I’ve seen this movie many times and I know I’ll be seeing it many more. The music, the animation, the characters… if a perfect movie exists, this is it! So there’s no need to touch perfection, right? …right?
THE LION KING (2019)
We had sequels. We had spin-offs. But in 2019, Disney put out their most expensive TLK idea yet – a live-action adaptation of the beloved classic! With Donald Glover and Beyonce at the helm, this was sure to be a hit! And look at that, they even brought back James Earl Jones for Mufasa!
But that box office payout of $1.6 million – sorry, billion – only tells half the story. Sure, TLK’s 2019 reprisal made bank, but it was on the wings of its originator. And hey, fun fact, this movie ain’t live-action. There are no real lions in here; it’s just inexpressive CGI’d cats! And I’m not trying to be too harsh; I did really like the CGI at certain points. But take a look at Aslan if you’re trying to give these guys more emotion!
But here’s the worst part. 2019’s TLK does nothing new. It’s practically a shot-for-shot remake without the animated charm of the OG. There are some sporadic new moments, but that’s largely it. With every line the same, every character dynamic unaltered… why would anyone check out this movie when the original is right next to it on Disney+?
Watching this movie brought to mind the 2016 live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book. The 1967 film, while having beautiful animation and catchy songs, just isn’t a favorite of mine. But I adore the 2016 one. There’s so much depth given to every character and dynamic, with the plot fleshed out in fantastic ways. This all culminates in an ending that left my mom, my sister, and me in the best kind of tears.
I’ll make a future post comparing the TJB and TLK adaptations in greater depth. But, suffice it to say, this is where TLK was a letdown. And it was always going to be one! TJB had a short, simple plot that was ripe to be expanded upon, with beautiful relationships that deserved greater attention than they originally received. And TLK didn’t have that! It was perfect from the get-go. No changes could be made to improve it from the original. And Disney didn’t do much with the box they wrote themselves into.
Here and there, I found small changes from 1994 to 2019. Timon and Pumba were certainly the biggest ones, with greater levels of dialogue and banter. Pumba also gets to ram some hyenas in the final fight scene, which was fun. There’s also an added scene where Nala and Shenzi have a showdown near the end. It’s not a bad touch, as Nala gets to have more of an active role in the fight. The hyenas themselves have more lines and interactions, too, with Shenzi being made the clear leader.
As for the music, I was surprised by how much I liked the remake of “Be Prepared.” The CGI and singing went very well together. I felt the same way about “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” as you know you’re in for a treat when you have Donald Glover and Beyonce together. But why was that scene during the day? No one thought “hey, wait a minute, isn’t ‘night’ in the title of this song?”
In opposition to these changes I liked (or at least didn’t mind), there were two more that seemed minor but felt the most egregious.
The first one was when Simba finally returned to Pride Rock. In the 1994 movie, as Scar reacts in shock, Simba goes to his mother. She says, “Mufasa?” upon first seeing him, mistaking him for his father. It’s a powerful scene. However, in the 2019 movie, Scar is the one to say this! He sees Simba and says, “Mufasa?” in fear before realizing. This change, small as it is, really pissed me off! Why lose that tender mother-son moment for a nervous word from Scar?
And then there’s the other change: minor, irrelevant, and contained in a single line. In 1994, Scar asks Sarabi to be his queen in the pride, to which she refuses. In 2019, however, Scar’s line is different. He tells Sarabi that she once chose Mufasa over him, and now she has the chance to right her mistake. Once more, Sarabi stands firm and refuses his proposal.
So wow, didn’t see that coming. We really needed the implication of a past Scar-Sarabi-Mufasa love triangle? Isn’t that kind of an overdone backstory? Well, at least we’ll probably never see all that shit go down, right? … right?
MUFASA (2024)
Uh oh.
So… Hamlet prequel, anyone?
I saw a lot of movies in 2024, so I saw the trailer for this one a lot. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s name intrigued me – I love him – but every time that white lion said “There can be only one LION KING” I laughed out loud. Seriously, guys?
But despite this cringey line, I really wanted to see the movie. The scenes of young Scar and Mufasa were utterly adorable. I’m a sucker for sibling dynamics! And with such cute childhood moments, how would the brothers’ relationship break down to the point of fratricide?
So, I saw the movie with a good friend of mine. And while I’m proud of myself for sneaking a taco in and eating it very quietly during the slower scenes, I obviously had bigger concerns on my mind – namely trying to figure out how long I’d have to hide in the bathroom after Mufasa before I could sneak back in for Nosferatu.
First off, I was charmed by the opening. Mufasa begins with a quote from the original movie: “Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars. Whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.” We couldn’t get a lovelier remembrance for James Earl Jones to honor the original voice of this character.
It quickly becomes clear that this movie takes the same path as Mamma Mia 2, acting as both prequel and sequel to the OG. Scar (originally known as Taka) and Mufasa’s backstory is told by Rafiki to Kiara, Simba and Nala’s daughter, with Timon and Pumba listening as well. There’s a lot of meta-commentary from the latter two. But my main focus in this scene-setting was “wait, is this fully sequel-compliant?”
Yeah, confession time: I’ve never seen the TLK sequel. I read its picture book once, and I prided myself on recognizing that, as TLK was a Hamlet adaptation, the second movie was Romeo and Juliet. Since Kiara is older in that one, this movie takes place in a time frame that slots nicely into the pre-existing canon. I know there’s also a TV show with Kiara’s brother, but if I haven’t seen the second movie then you know I haven’t seen the show from 2016!
Anyhow. Mufasa has the same CGI style as the 2019 TLK movie, making me wonder if all of this had a place after all. If Disney dropped Mufasa out of nowhere, it would’ve felt like a jarring new addition to the TLK series. But the 2019 film bridges the gap between the original animation and the new story. So, maybe it almost works – but I’m not saying anyone had to make a Hamlet prequel in the first place!
Nah, I had fun. I’m glad this movie exists.
Before we get into the plot, let’s get something out of the way: the music. I went into the theater with high hopes, considering Lin-Manuel Miranda’s name attached to the project. We got a terrible soundtrack in Moana 2 in exchange for this, after all!
But I was let down. The soundtrack isn’t outright terrible – better than Moana 2, at the very least – but nothing was memorable. Every song had the same slow pacing that I just hate in musicals. Why does everything have to be so bland and low-tempo? I had some fun here and there, but I was left struggling to remember most of the lines and tunes. Not a good sign.
To the plot! In the first half of the movie, we get exactly what I’d been craving since the trailers: Taka and Mufasa fluff! Mufasa being adopted by Taka’s mother was an interesting detail, and his senses strengthening because he was raised by lionesses was a great touch. And aah, “I always wanted a brother” really freaking got me. Especially with Taka letting Mufasa win the race! I liked this and the other small details of Taka “saving” Mufasa here and there growing up. And hey, those baby lions are just so dang cute!
There’s more drama with Taka’s cowardice being put on display and evil Kiros (hello, Mads Mikkelsen) forcing Taka and Mufasa from their tribe, and that’s when we meet Sarabi. (And Zazu and Rafiki, they make a fun crowd.) From the single line in the 2019 film, I was anticipating/dreading a Sarabi-Taka-Mufasa love triangle, and I was right to be concerned. Taka instantly falls for Sarabi, and Mufasa tries to help his brother out. But Taka is unable to hold a conversation or protect Sarabi, and her feelings for Mufasa quickly come to light.
Taka’s breaking point, while being catalyzed by Sarabi and Mufasa’a relationship, was more than him simply becoming an incel because the girl he liked turned him down. It came from everyone choosing Mufasa over Taka. The approval of Taka’s father, the protection of Taka’s mother, the affections of Taka’s crush… Mufasa had all of it.
But damn, Taka putting both and Mufasa and Sarabi on the chopping block was pretty intense! It’s the reveal that this isn’t the story of a good person lion falling to the dark side; it’s an exploration of a bad person losing their tethers to goodness.
Despite this, the movie felt increasingly slow by the time they reached the mountains, only continuing to drag. Remember how I said this gave OUAT backstory episode vibes? This is where they would’ve cut off some of the dead weight. But I digress.
The side characters offered some entertainment and emotional value, such as Rafiki claiming Mufasa as his brother, and we’re waterboarded with heavy-handed nostalgia. Rafiki’s staff, Pride Rock itself… and then there’s the most obvious symbolic imagery. Twice, we have scenes of Mufasa dangling at the edge of a cliff, only for Taka to dig his claws into Mufasa’s paws and pull him to safety. Is this a little on the nose? Yes. Did I still have fun with it? Absolutely!
But that’s not even the biggest moment of nostalgia bait. Everyone knew the scene to wait for: Taka becoming “Scar” and getting that iconic injury. I genuinely enjoyed Taka’s fight against his cowardice reaching a breaking point as he stopped Kiros from killing Mufasa, begging for his brother’s life. In a better story, this would be the redemption arc, but it hurts to know that this is Mufasa and Taka’s last stand as true brothers!
Very reasonably, Mufasa doesn’t take Taka’s last-minute heroics as an excuse to welcome him back with open paws. He holds Taka accountable for the damage he’s done and refuses to forgive him, finalizing their divide. And Taka renaming himself for the scar he suffered for Mufasa’s sake is another nice touch. It’s a permanent reminder not to risk himself for his brother’s sake again, defining himself by both his betrayal and minor sacrifice. Despite this, I wanted a little more from their splintering, but I’m satisfied with what we got!
So, did we need Mufasa as a prequel movie? Well, no. But it’s a fun, CGI-smothered return to the beloved world of TLK. If the music were better and more memorable, we’d probably have a more popular and well-received film on our hands. As it stands, Mufasa doesn’t offer much in terms of a rewatch, but it’s an enjoyable enough romp to the theaters. Bask in the obvious parallels and don’t think about it too hard!
