[Watch the 1-minute review above or read it below!]

–

As a big fan of The Lion King, I approached Mufasa: The Lion King with caution. The 2019 remake – eh, it felt like a lifeless copy. And I’m not usually sold on prequels. So, I’m happy to say that this one left me pleasantly surprised.

There are flaws, no doubt. The narrative is thin and predictable, echoing plenty of beats from the original film. The fan service can be heavy-handed, and the back-and-forth between the present timeline—where Rafiki recounts the tale to Simba’s son—and the past feels disjointed. Mads Mikkelsen voices the villain, which is cool, but his plotline feels a bit tacked on. And as a Lin-Manuel Miranda fan, I was a little let down by the music. There are hints of his flair, but the tracks don’t quite land.

That said, I found Mufasa to be a mostly easy, harmless watch. The characterisation is stronger than the predecessor; the CG animals are far more expressive than the stiff realism of that film. The voice cast is quite good, and the final act delivers. It’s an emotional crescendo that ties past and present beautifully, staying true to the themes that made The Lion King so beloved. Overall, I liked it.