Mufasa: The Lion King review: A tear jerking tribute to the Lion King and how it all began in the circle of life

Giving us a much needed closure on Scar’s villain origin story and how Mufasa took his place as king, Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King transports you to a beautiful ‘milele’.

Mufasa: The Lion King review: ‘A stick can burn a smoke but it won’t start a fire’ this was one of Rafiki’s dialogues in the film that stayed with me post the credits rolled. It also is the best way to describe Mufasa: The Lion King. This one's for the misfits sticking together and creating a clan of their own. As a kid, Lion King was the first movie I ever watched. I wouldn’t eat without it playing on TV. There are a lot of life lessons from the film that became my primary principles in life. I saw so much of Mufasa in my father and inevitably related to Simba. In my life there have been movies I have liked and movies I have truly disliked. But then there’s Lion King. It healed my soul. It gave me so much faith in the fact that good will triumph over evil, ALWAYS, and all of us have a purpose in this beautiful circle of life.

When the prequel for my favorite movie was announced, I was instantly taken back to the world of pride lands. But I also wished that the makers live up to the legacy that Lion King has left behind. I wished that it would be just as moving and emotional as the 1994 classic was. Today having watched the film first thing in the morning, I can happily affirm that it lived up to my expectations and it is one I am going to take some time to get over. The movie begins with a voice over of James Earl Jones as Mufasa to pay him tribute since he passed away this year. From that second itself I had tears rolling down my eyes. While the voice over for Mufasa in this film was fabulously done by Aaron Pierre, nobody ever can and ever will be able match up to the power James Earl Jones’ voice had. The story is told in a flashback setting that Rafiki (Kagiso Ladiga) is narrating to Simba’s daughter, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter).

Also Read: Outhouse review: A heartwarming story that reminds you to keep your inner child alive!

Mufasa: The Lion King as the title suggests is about how Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) became king without a blood of nobility in him. His parents were swept away in a flood and while desperately fending for himself, he is saved by princeling Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). While Taka’s father, King Obashi did not take this news well at all, Taka became Mufasa’s best friend and the best brother he could have asked for. Mufasa saw a mother in Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) who taught him to hunt like a lioness. As the two cubs grew up, you could clearly see Mufasa was better than Taka in every sense. He had more physical strength, he was sensitive, and way more courageous than Taka ever was. So when the outsiders- a group of white lions led by Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) attack them, the mighty Mufasa protects his mother while Taka runs away.

But Kiros and his gang weren’t going anytime soon, hence Obashi commands Mufasa and Scar to go away from home and find the mythical place called ‘Milele’ which means forever in Swahili. Along the way they find Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), Zazu (Preston Neyman) and Rafiki who were also thrown out misfits in their families. This odd group of five became a team and planned to outrun the outsiders who were closing in on them. Here’s when sweet innocent Taka starts turning into Scar. Sarabi was the first lioness he had ever seen and fell head over heels for her. But Sarabi was smitten by Mufasa, the more sensitive, observant and powerful lion. This becomes the cause for hate in Taka’s heart for Mufasa and that's where his villain origin story begins. 

If I had to sum up Mufasa: The Lion King I would call it the closure we always wanted but never got….until we finally did! Scar’s arc in this film is the one that is going to intrigue most of us. We have always seen him as the conniving uncle but the fact that he wasn’t always this way breaks your heart but also answers a lot of questions. There are way too many Lion King references in this film to not talk about. More than references, we get to see how the entire ethos was built from scratch. How Rafiki got his stick, how Scar actually got his ‘scar’, who gave him that name in the first place, and how we literally saw the geological formation of the iconic pride lands, it all just comes together in front of your eyes and suddenly you get a whole new perspective on The Lion King. The way Taka saved Mufasa for the first time is the same way he would eventually kill him. Mufasa’s father died while trying to save him in the same way Mufasa died while saving Simba. The panic in young Mufasa’s eyes is the same as the panic young Simba had during the stampede. There are also a plethora of dialogues that were taken straight from The Lion King. The list can go on and it honestly was a lot to take in as a Lion King enthusiast!

The only thing Mufasa: The Lion King lacks in is its soundtrack. Lion King’s soundtrack is one of the best that the world of cinema has to offer. The songs in this one are good but average at best. Forget creating an impact, I wouldn’t even hum the songs at home. You don’t have Kiros here singing something as well thought out as ‘I know it sounds sordid but you’ll be rewarded’ or Taka celebrating to be king someday. It fully banks on Hans Zimmer’s golden soundtracks from the main film which only triggers your nostalgia and makes you emotional. Also, showing the story in flashback was a neat way of keeping Pumba (Seth Rogen), Timon (Billy Eichner), Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyonce) a part of this one. Seeing all three generations back to back was pretty iconic.

This film is for every Lion King fan out there who always wanted to see more of Mufasa than what Disney had to offer us. It’s the journey of an underdog from being a lowborn cub to the king of the jungle. It is about finding your milele along with your pride and making it your own. And most importantly, it’s for the ones who want to experience some good old Disney magic that adulthood makes you forget about!

Mufasa: The Lion King is currently streaming at a theater near you!

For more reviews, follow us on @socialketchupbinge.