The film that heralds Christmas at home arrives at the cinema on December 18th Disney. Five years after the live-action of Jon Favreau based on the 1994 animated film of the same name, the Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) is at the helm of a new, never-before-seen origin story about the rise to power of Mufasa and the defeat of his half-brother Scar. In the Italian version with the voices of Luca Marinelli (Mufasa), Elodie (Sarabi) e Alberto Boubakar Malanchino (Scar/Taka). Below we report our opinion.
While Simba e Nala they are about to give birth to a new puppy, the first born Kiara is entrusted to the attention of the bungling but affectionate Timon e Pump. To entertain her, the two tell the little lion a series of far-fetched stories. When it arrives A friend he reveals his grandfather’s story to her, Mufasa, born from Blessings e Afiaand moved away until arriving in the rude territory Obasi and far-sighted Eshe. Parents of the one who becomes his half-brother, Take. Crown prince, but shy and insecure, he bonds with the newcomer, with whom he shares many adventures. Including that of leaving in search of a promised land. Initially to escape a cruel and ruthless enemy, then increasingly towards a destiny that will lead them to become the main protagonists of the saga.
The announcement of a prequel to the story of Re Leone was not particularly well received, but things began to change when an acclaimed, Oscar-winning director was chosen to helm the project. Barry Jenkinsveteran of the global success of Moonlight and the beautiful television series The Underground Railroadbased on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. Five years after the live-action of Jon Favreaualready particularly criticized at the time, not so much for the film itself but for the director’s choice to create real talking animals through the use of CGI, Mufasa proposes the same visual system (a little improved) not without that “uncanny valley”, remaining too tied to a hyper-realistic imagery that makes the characters lose their expressiveness and creates a strong detachment with the spectator. Jenkins himself, until now director of personal and independent projects, for the first time finds himself at the mercy of a studio whose impositions weigh on the creative freedom of the author, and despite the fact that the film, compared to its predecessor, tends towards one side more intimate, it fails to achieve its general aim.
Although with better staging than the previous film, the direction is quite subdued, uninspired and with a management of the characters that is not always focused. The film is also a musical, which provides a different dynamism compared to canonical films, which is completely absent here, with musical scenes and songs that are not very captivating and memorable. Mufasa in fact it lives very much in the shadow of its predecessor with continuous thematic and musical references that make it lose the originality that the project deserved, thus losing that naturalness that characterized the 1994 film and which in turn did not characterize the 2019 live-action With themes that range too quickly from family, to friendship, to inclusion, to leadership, betrayal and love, what is missing is the true heart of a film that should have told the story of a character full of wisdom and values, but which turns out to be a decidedly predictable and uninspired path.
How uninspired is the bond between the two half-brothers Mufasa e Taka/Scar. What should have been the fulcrum of the narrative, first brotherhood, then betrayal, envy and abandonment, is simplified and becomes almost superfluous, despite the potential that a character like Taka actually has on paper. The result is a conflict between the two that is not very detailed and is based on motivations that are too futile to have created such resentment. A decidedly lighter approach is thus preferred, even on themes that could have been much more exciting, also given the starting point of the original story which in itself is very profound and based on philosophical foundations. Mufasa is thus a sort of chosen one, no ifs or buts, with a very specific task and a hero’s journey that is too automatic and devoid of real growth. The theme of leadership should also have played a fundamental role, but this does not happen, confirming the characters either completely positive or completely negative, without a middle area with which to doubt, empathize or conflict. Another great character who is quite forgotten Sarabimother of Simba and companion of Mufasa. In the prequel it should have had an important role even just in the formation and growth of Mufasa’s character, but unfortunately it remains relegated to a simple plot accessory, without any real development or characterization other than “the one who fell in love with the future king”. Sarabi could have been a bridge between the two brothers, trying to calm their rivalries. Certainly a role like this would have given greater depth to the character, showing his attempt to preserve harmony within the royal family.
Mufasa: The Lion King It thus presents itself as a film that wants to expand the narrative universe of one of the most beloved Disney classics, resulting in a film that lacks depth and true innovation. The absence of real narrative depth, the simplistic approach to the themes of destiny and leadership, and the failure to exploit the emotional potential of the characters, such as Sarabi and Taka (Scar), make this prequel soulless. The predictable plot fails to add anything significant to the figure of Mufasa, a character who should represent the emotional and moral fulcrum of the film. Instead of expanding the mythology of the Lion King with new perspectives or reflections, the film simply repeats clichés and messages already seen, lacking the emotional impact and complexity that made the 1994 classic a timeless masterpiece.
Mufasa: The Lion King has been at the cinema since December 18th. Here is the Italian trailer of the film:
