It’s been a little bit of time since Mufasa: The Lion King came out and dazzled audiences and proved to be superior to the 2019 remake. I wanted to explain how amazing this movie truly is and why it should have even been nominated for Best Picture.
This mammoth of a movie begins after the events of 2019’s “The Lion King” as King Simba goes to his Queen Nala to give birth to their child. Meanwhile, their first born Kiara is left in the care of Rafiki as he weaves the true origin of Kiara’s grandfather Mufasa. It is revealed that Mufasa never had a drop of noble blood in him.
After a deadly flood, the lion cub Mufasa is swept away from his family and is found by another cub named Taka, who would eventually become known as scar and after Taka lets Mufasa win in a race, Mufasa is allowed to stay in their pride. However, things get murky when the pride is attacked by a couple of albino lions, one of them being killed by Mufasa and the other one running away to their pride leader Kiros, who is the father of the slain lion Mufasa killed.
As a result, Kiros goes on a revenge kick to kill the lion with Taka and Mufasa evacuating from their pride.
This is a classic Disney story that proves that the company still has a lot going for it and can still tell vivid stories that dazzle audiences for years and generations to come. I remember watching this movie on Disney+ with my mom and we were dazzled at not just the amazing and arresting visuals but also the story that bracketed the film which centered around two step brothers noting a biblical Cain and Abel connection.
This film easily outpaces the 2019 film with its improved CGI and facial expressions in the characters that seemed to be mostly absent from Jon Favreau’s film. Not only that but the story is fresh and a respite from the same rehashed and recycled movies and tv shows that audiences have already received. Given that tone, people won’t need to compare it to a previously similar incarnation that came before it as “Mufasa: The Lion King” is not a remake.
Without giving away too much for those who have yet to see this modern Disney classic, what sets this movie apart from other Disney movies is the fact that it was made lovingly with such heart and soul. Admittedly, it is a prequel and most prequels already get a bad wrap in the film world because the people already know how this ends, so the stakes are against them, but given that this movie wraps a nice little bow and brings all of the characters in the full circle of life so to speak, it makes for some enchanting viewing.
Given that “Wicked” was a front runner for Best Picture at the Oscars along with “Conclave” and “The Brutalist”, this year’s award show left a lot of fans scratching their heads when “Anora” won Best Picture.
It feels like the ceremony has taken a nosedive in the quality of films that have received the award. Given that I have seen both movies, “Mufasa: The Lion King” seemed like a much more formidable contender at the Oscars as it possessed everything “Anora” didn’t have: Heart, striking visuals, and a riveting story.
At the heart of the story, it’s about two brothers trying to find their place in the world. One overcomes corruption and one succumbs to it. It’s just disheartening that this film didn’t get any kind of recognition come Oscar season.