The story of a reluctant leader rising to power is always a charming idea. One of the most iconic animated characters, Mufasa, seems tailor-made for such an idea. However, Mufasa: The Lion King is hit-and-miss lacking emotional depth. The film begins with Simba (Donald Glover) carrying on the legacy of his beloved father Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and ruling the Pride Lands with love, justice, fairness, and valour.
He rushes to help his wife Nala (Beyonce), who is in trouble, leaving his daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) in the protection of Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). The three are soon joined by the wise baboon Rafiki (John Kani) as he narrates to Kiara, the tale of her brave grandfather Mufasa, who accomplished the impossible when all the odds were against him.
The film goes against the popular maxim—Blood is thicker than water—as every character who believes in this saying turns out to be an antagonist. Born to Masego (Keith David) and Afia (Anika Noni Rose), Mufasa is washed away by the floods and gets separated from his parents. He reaches the kingdom ruled by Obasi (Lennie James) and Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), saved by their son and heir to the throne, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr). What follows is not just Mufasa’s rise to power but also a demonstration of how blood alone doesn’t forge strong bonds. In fact, the coming together of Princess Nala, her spy hornbill Zazu (Preston Nyman) and Rafiki is a beautiful marriage of their interpersonal relationships and this theme.
Music is also a vital cog in the narrative that puts across every character’s intention through songs. How boring Mufasa felt to be a single child and always wanting a brother is succinctly captured by ‘I Always Wanted a Brother’; the song also acts as a marker of Taka’s character arc. Taka plays a protective younger brother at first, defending Mufasa from Obasi’s othering attitude to the point of conceding defeat to let Mufasa stay alive so that he can stay in the pride.
The song not only reflects how badly Mufasa wanted someone to call him their own but also Taka’s big heart and his ability to make several sacrifices. This song is a bar that sets Taka high from where one incident after another, one problem after another, makes his character plummet. Taka comes full circle, turning into the treacherous Scar, with the songs ‘Tell Me It’s You’ and ‘Brother Betrayed’.
As I mentioned before, the film benefits from scenes where the crown comes calling for Mufasa, but he keeps moving away. Take for instance, the scene where Mufasa asks Eshe why he should toil hard and why he has to learn to hunt and quell enemies, as he is just an ordinary lion and not a prince; his reluctance makes him more suited to reign the forest. Timon and Pumbaa, with their frequent interruptions in between Rafiki’s story narration, add much-needed comic relief.
Apart from the character design and the expository songs, the film also interestingly intertwines mysterious elements with profound philosophy. Animals, those that think and operate in a parochial and territorial mindset, are quick to dismiss the existence of Milele, a place said to be a utopia where everyone lives harmoniously. However, Mufasa and his friends believe in its existence and relentlessly pursue their dream of utopia.
The film fails to realise its full potential due to a lack of depth in Mufasa’s emotional struggles. Mufasa loses his family, and then he quickly finds another family, where he finds comfort; he migrates again, not knowing what awaits him and he finds a comfortable companion in Sarabi (Tiffany Boone). Mufasa doesn’t get enough time to grieve, failing to make us empathise with him. He is always one or two scenes away from a solution.
Mufasa is known to be a wise and philosophical ruler from the 1994 animated film The Lion King; however, the screenplay of Mufasa: The Lion King has only few scenes that could convince us that his journey in this film moulded him into the Mufasa we know and love.
Film: Mufasa: The Lion King
Director: Barry Jenkins
Cast: Aaron Pierre, Donald Glover, Tiffany Boone, Kelvin Harrison Jr
Rating : 3/5