Mufasa: The Lion King
★★★
Sometimes you go into a movie with zero expectations—and walk out… pleasantly surprised?
That was the case with Mufasa: The Lion King. I didn’t feel like I needed this prequel, and to be honest, I wasn’t even particularly interested. The 2019 Lion King remake already felt like a pretty unnecessary reimagining. (We saw it, we mildly enjoyed it, we never spoke of it again.) But when our daughters expressed interest in checking out Mufasa, it gave us an excuse to head to the theater as a family—and, hey, that’s always a win.
Surprise twist? It’s actually not bad. In fact, Mufasa delivers a fresh, original tale that doesn’t rely too heavily on nostalgia. Do we need this backstory? Absolutely not. But once the story kicked in, we found ourselves caught up in it more than expected. The songs are... fine. Nothing you'll rush to put on a playlist or sing around the house, but serviceable enough for the moment.
What does stand out is the stunning animation. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the film feels like it's in steady, capable hands. The photorealistic visuals—especially the sweeping African landscapes—are honestly mesmerizing. At times, it feels like you’re watching a high-def nature doc, if that nature doc had singing lions and legacy drama.
Mufasa is now streaming, and it’s a decent pick for a family movie night. Just don’t expect it to reignite your Disney soul or send you racing to Spotify. We enjoyed it for what it was... but it’s probably time to let this franchise take a long nap on Pride Rock.
