Second, the songs are boring and not memorable. You will not be singing these songs on the car ride home. You’ll do what my daughter did and play the original Lion King soundtrack instead. I’ve always said Lin-Manuel Miranda is a brilliant songwriter and composer when he’s given enough time to compose and write. Compared to the brilliant Encanto, where Lin-Manuel Miranda had time to carefully craft the soundtrack, the songs in Mufasa feel slapped together to meet a deadline. These songs are simply dialog set to music. Worse, the song “Bye Bye” desperately attempts to match the classic “Be Prepared.”
This brings me to my last criticism (I could go on and on with criticisms). Mufasa: The Lion King exists solely to foreshadow the hell out of the original Lion King. How did Mufasa and Scar become brothers? Where did Scar’s scar come from? Why is Rafiki a loner? I’m sure you wanted to know how Pride Rock was formed. I’m also sure you wanted to know the origins of your favorite lines from the original came from. Even Hans Zimmer’s beautiful music is reduced to its early drafts as lesser versions only to evolve to the score we love. These are all the reasons why people hate prequels and never ask for them, especially for The Lion King.
(Center): Timon (voiced by Billy Eichner) in Disney’s live-action MUFASA: THE LION KING. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“The foreshadowing is relentless… these are all the reasons why people hate prequels.”
No cap (sorry, kids). This is my last criticism. Rafiki tells Mufasa’s origin story to his granddaughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) because Simba and Nala went away during a rain storm. As Rafiki tells the story, Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumba (Seth Rogen) provide the worst, inane, and unfunny comic relief imaginable. Thank God the movie finally ended.
Dear Lord, this movie didn’t need to be made. It is profoundly awful. The foreshadowing is relentless. Sorry, Barry Jenkins just can’t direct animation. The film’s pacing is horrendous, which is why the cast’s performances appear amateurish. In case you think I’m overstating how bad the movie is, why didn’t Disney submit Mufasa: The Lion King and its music to the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for consideration?
"…a profoundly awful movie."
