The director of moonlight (2016), If Beale Street could talk (2018) and the series The Underground Railroad (2021) surprised when filming this new animated bet from the popular studio, but the final result is far from being dazzling. Either way, it will be Disney vs. Disney (by Moana 2) at the global box office.
Mufasa: The Lion King (Mufasa: The Lion KingUnited States/2024). Director: Barry Jenkins. Screenplay: Jeff Nathanson. Voices (in the original version): Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Blue Ivy Carter, John Kani, Mads Mikkelsen, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Thandiwe Newton, Donald Glover and Beyoncé Knowles- Sump. Music: Dave Metzger. Photography: James Laxton. Editing: Joi McMillon. Distributor: Disney. Duration: 120 minutes. Suitable for all audiences.
Disney continues to squeeze out its franchises and, at least in the commercial field, it is not doing bad at all. After the success of the film by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff released in 1994, the live-action remake directed in 2019 by Jon Favreau, the dozens of releases for TV, video games and other areas, and becoming the most successful musical in Broadway history, comes this prequel led by the Oscar winner for the screenplay adapted from moonlight.
Beyond the findings and commonplaces of the script by Jeff Nathanson (responsible for films as diverse as catch me if you can, The terminal, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull y Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge) or the musical numbers based on songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (they are below expectations and light years from the creations of Elton John and Tim Rice), there is something in this type of animation so “perfect” (at times It seems like those illustrations conceived via Artificial Intelligence) that the story feels somewhat cold, artificial and distant. It is true that technology advances and the movements have more fluidity and verisimilitude than a few years ago, but – call me old if you want – I miss the risk, the creativity and even the “impurities” of the most traditional and artisanal animation.
The film begins with a tribute to the recently deceased James Earl Jones, who put his magnificent and unmistakable voice at the service of Mufasa, and then we meet the puppy Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), brief appearances by her parents Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), the veteran baboon Rafiki (John Kani) and those two prototypes of the comic relief with the Disney seal, Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and Timon (Billy Eichner). Because, being a framed story, almost the entire film is told in long flashbacks that will allow us to learn about the dramatic and epic story of Mufasa (voiced by Braelyn Rankins in her child version and that of Aaron Pierre in his more adult version).
Of course, Mufasa has a couple of spectacular sequences (from the initial torrent that causes the protagonist to be swept away by the water, left far from his family of origin and ends with another fake to stampedes of all kinds of animals), a friendship that degenerates until turn into resentment, a love triangle that many associated with some sarcasm with that of Desafiantes / Challengersa strong villain like Kiros who leads the white lions (the voice of the great Mads Mikkelsen) and a mystery – the rise of the evil Scar – that refers to that of Darth Vader in Star Wars.
The two hours of footage have enough attributes and plots to entertain a diverse audience (although there are a few gruesome moments that could impact the little ones) and even references for adults (such as the jokes referring to the Broadway musical) that are not They add up too much. This addition to the franchise The Lion King It maintains a more than acceptable standard in all its areas, but at the same time it feels quite artificial and calculated. No one seems willing to put the handbrake on the fundraising machine.
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