Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.
Aaron Pierre
Mufasa (voice)
Kelvin Harrison, Jr.
Taka (voice)
Tiffany Boone
Sarabi (voice)
Kagiso Lediga
Young Rafiki (voice)
Preston Nyman
Zazu (voice)
Blue Ivy Carter
Kiara (voice)
John Kani
Rafiki (voice)
Mads Mikkelsen
Kiros (voice)
Seth Rogen
Pumbaa (voice)
Billy Eichner
Timon (voice)
Thandiwe Newton
Eshe (voice)
Lennie James
Obasi (voice)
Anika Noni Rose
Afia (voice)
Keith David
Masego (voice)
Braelyn Rankins
Mufasa Cub (voice)
Theo Somolu
Taka Cub (voice)
Beyoncé
Nala (voice)
Donald Glover
Simba (voice)
Folake Olowofoyeku
Amara (voice)
Joanna Jones
Akua (voice)
Thuso Mbedu
Junia (voice)
Sheila Atim
Ajarry (voice)
Abdul Salis
Chigaru (voice)
Dominique Jennings
Sarafi (voice)
Derrick L. McMillon
Mosi (voice)
Maestro Harrell
Inaki (voice)
AJ Beckles
Azibo (voice)
David S. Lee
Mobo (voice)
Brielle Rankins
Mufasa Cub additional lines (voice)
James Earl Jones
Mufasa (Archive Voice)
Director
Barry Jenkins
Screenplay
Jeff Nathanson
December 23, 2024
8
Rubbish poster aside, <em>'Mufasa: The Lion King'</em> is a success.
I can't overlook that poster, how amateur can you get - it genuinely looks like something I'd whip up seconds before the deadline. Thankfully, the movie itself is very good, it's one I enjoyed quite a bit. The animation is class, the lions look amazingly majestic. I will say the white ones look a bit iffy, but that's nothing even close to a big issue.
The voice cast are all perfectly good. Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (only now realising his character wasn't called Tucker... bit embarrassing on my part), John Kani et al. all merit props. The standouts for me, however, are Mads Mikkelsen and Lennie James - two actors I do love watching (or listening to, in this case), admittedly.
Music-wise, it's not the strongest - I can't recall any of the songs, to be honest. That's not actually a terrible thing though, as it means none of the musical numbers grated on me either - and that's always a win in my books. Elsewhere, Timon & Pumbaa are unamusing and wasted, but at the same time are unnecessarily forced into this prequel/sequel.
Obviously, this still falls far adrift of the beloved original animated film. Nevertheless, I'll hold it in higher esteem than the 2019 remake, even if I didn't overly mind that one to be fair. Oh, lastly, nice touch dedicating this to James Earl Jones at the get-go - was expecting it at the end.