“Mufasa: The Lion King” just can’t wait to be king
“The Lion King” is one of the most beloved and popular Disney movies, and “Mufasa” lived up to all of its glory. Going into the film, I had high expectations, as since I was a child, I have always loved “The Lion King” and the music was a staple in my household. The movie made my love for animals grow and taught me the importance of leadership through fun songs and scenes.
“Mufasa” starts the movie off by introducing Simba and Nala’s cub, Kiara, voiced by Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Rafiiki, a Mandrill from the original movie, tells Pumbaa the warthog, Timon the meerkat and Kiara a story about how Kiara’s grandfather, Mufasa, came to be king. This makes “The Lion King” and “Mufasa” connect seamlessly with a beautiful frame story.
Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” composed the music for this film. I thought he did a fantastic job and the songs added so much excitement to the plot. For instance, the song “Bye Bye” was a fun way of adding suspense and drama. Similar to the success of “The Lion King’s” songs, many of those in “Mufasa” have been popular among audiences. For example, a new TikTok trend has formed around the song “I Always Wanted A Brother.” For this trend, sisters gather around their brother and sing the lyrics to part of the song.
One thing I particularly loved about the movie was the phenomenal animation work. All of the animals look hyper-realistic, while also having exceptional color and magic. All of the lions appeared so unique and were easily distinguishable. There is so much beauty in the sets from the aspects of its perfectly rippled water, delicate sand, vivid forests and blooming fields of flowers. When the lions’ manes flow in the wind or the breeze passes over the grass and flowers, the movie truly comes alive.
The film also did a spectacular job of representing major themes in our world today, including comments on lions’ gender roles. While male lions are seen as the dominant gender in their pride, females do all the work. The movie shows and talks about how males spend their day napping and lying in the sun, while the females hold up the pride by hunting. Although gender roles have improved so much over the years, many families still experience these types of expectations. Mothers do all the work like cooking and cleaning to hold up the family, while fathers are still seen as the head of the household, when in reality the mothers are the backbone of the family.
Another theme that was prominent throughout the entire movie was blood status determining one’s worth and status in society. Mufasa starts the movie living with his parents, but he gets swept away in a flood. Mufasa joins a new pride with his new brother, Taka. Taka is the heir to the throne, so he has advantages and leadership even though he is not the strongest or bravest lion. Taka and Mufasa eventually have to run away to escape another pride’s attack. The lions go on a journey to eventually find their new kingdom, Milele. Since Mufasa was the one who saved Milele by showing bravery and leadership, all of the animals vote him to be king, instead of Taka, the “heir”. I really enjoy when themes like these are put into children’s movies, because there is always a lesson to learn from them. Leaders should not be chosen based off nepotism or blood status, instead leaders should be chosen for who best fits the job.
I loved watching this movie in the theater and I think anyone would enjoy the spectacular plot, music and animation. So many Disney movies seem to have lost their magic, but “Mufasa” proved to bring back the Disney action and excitement. “Mufasa” is a lively, beautiful film that is great for all ages and audiences.
