Disney has been in a creative slump for the past couple of years. The majority of their animated features could be more inspired and imaginative. And the few that are spontaneous and tactful are sidelined for their bigger-name brands or placed on Disney+. Their live-action originals don’t spark the audience’s attention either. So, Disney, once the staple for dreams coming true and imagination to flow through the entire screen, is now a disappointing trend. It has been a long time since one of their pictures truly struck a chord with me. But I give them the light of day since, like most children, Disney forged our childhoods with timeless stories containing heart, soul, and ingenuity with a dash of wit.
Nevertheless, each time around, their slate continues to not be up to par with the classics. Disney then decided that the quickest path to resurrect the magic was to remake the animated classics into live-action pictures. And that’s when the play in nostalgia became even more apparent. The segway for a safer, uninventive route became clear. These projects were modeled to capitalize on the nostalgia people of all ages have for films being remade. The company wanted to reach the biggest audience imaginable. So, on paper, these live-action pictures were the best monetary strategy. Creatively, they were lacking the spark that once defined their work. The exception is Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella,” which had the British director’s knack for the theatrical and bombastic.
Barry Jenkins Helming the Latest Disney Live-Action Remake
The project that made this most noticeable was their “Lion King” live-action remake from 2019, starring Donald Glover and Beyonce, who was also in charge of curating the soundtrack for the film. Even though it was the same story, beat for beat, it felt completely different. Instead of being blasted by bright colors, catchy tunes, and a poignant, heartfelt story, it lacked vivacity and rendered hollow. As the visual effects team tried to make everything feel more realistic, the heart and charm of the original were removed. The more “true to life” everything looked, the more distant it became. The visual effects lacked deftness; it felt very artificial compared to the original carefully designed caricatures and landscapes. Nevertheless, it was a commercial success and paved the way for the live-action remakes of “Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and “Moana.”
Nobody went out of their way to explicitly ask for these films. Yet the public embraced them. And as we say in Puerto Rico, “por uno pagan todos.” Everyone ends up paying for one person’s decision. Because it became such a hit, surpassing a billion dollars at the Box Office, a follow-up tale about the classic Disney lions was announced, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” with Barry Jenkins at the helm. Many opposed such a decision. Having a talented filmmaker like Jenkins in this type of project was kind of disappointing. But him accepting this task funds his next project, one I’m eager to see after delivering his opus, “The Underground Railroad,” a few years back.
In addition, there is a chance that Jenkins could get something out of the material, especially since it is an original story centered around Mufasa, Simba’s father, when he was younger and how he eventually became the titular lion king. There’s room to work with here. But will the machine remove the life out of Jenkin’s sentimental directorial touch? While there are some touches of his visual language in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” the film succumbs to the same issues as the previous live-action flick had and more. It ends as an exasperating experience with glimpses of vivacity, yet it is dismantled by a disorganized, rushed narrative with terrible tunes to back the family adventure.
Mufasa: The Lion King Takes Inspiration from The Lion King 1½ in its Narrative Structure
“Mufasa: The Lion King” takes inspiration from “The Lion King 1½” in its narrative structure. A story occurs in the present as another is being told, set in the past with different characters–interlacing the two with comedy bits and meta gags featuring Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumba (Seth Rogen). The story set in the present day centers around Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), Simba’s (Donald Glover) daughter, who’s left with Timon, Pumba, and Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga) as the king ventures into the jungle with Nala (Beyonce) for an unspecified circumstance, later revealed in the closing act. As a thunderstorm approaches, the young Kiara grows worried about her parents’ whereabouts. The lightning strikes frighten her, and she becomes even more anxious. To take her mind off the situation, Rafiki tells Kiara a story about Mufasa, the brave lion that united the jungle.
This is the segway into the secondary (and central) story. This introductory strand was rushed and somewhat unfocused. Many things were done concurrently to ease the process. However, it leaves the viewer believing something is missing between each narrative beat, while it is just poor pacing. You are immediately placed onto the “story within a story” framing without a thorough introduction to immerse you in the tale. Rather than taking some time to explore the current situation of these classic characters and the newly introduced cub, screenwriter Jeff Nathanson goes straight to the chase. This is a recurrent issue throughout the film, not only in this introductory passage. And it causes ripples in each chapter of Mufasa’s journey.
Rafiki tells his story, set many decades ago when Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) was just a cub, just like Kiara. His parents are in search of a land called “Milele” (or “Forever”), a sacred place where green covers every square inch and water flows through the endless streams. Many consider this place to be a myth. But they are hopeful of finding it and staying there forever. Thus, the trio sings about it as they envision how it will look. The song and many others in the film lack the melodic punch and catchy chorus of Elton John and Tim Rice’s tracks from the 1992 original. Of course, it isn’t fair for one to compare another lyricist or songwriter to Elton John, one of the best and most expressionistic pop artists of all time. However, most songs in “Mufasa: The Lion King” lack soul or charisma.
Lin Manuel Miranda’s Tracks Lack Musical Variety and Rely on Repetition
One of the key assets of the success of “The Lion King” was the effort, care, and swiftness, in addition to the sense of timelessness, put onto songs like “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” “Hakuna Matata,” and “Feel the Love.” Now, with Lin Manuel Miranda on deck to write the tracks, a modern twist adds a theatricality factor to the harmonies. However, the lyrics and presentation of the musical numbers themselves are subpar. Manuel Miranda’s knack for the fast lyrical verses and precision in the vocals occasionally work. “A Cover is Not the Book” from “Mary Poppins Returns” is a good example of his songwriting in a Disney film. However, I think he lacks musical variety and relies too much on repetition.
When the “Milele” song ends, rain pours down onto the desert lands like a miracle. Somebody, something, was hearing their prayers. Everyone is splashing around the makeshift pond, basking in this rarity. But sooner rather than later, tragedy strikes. A flood out of nowhere drowns everything on its way. Every animal tries to run away. But the poor Mufasa couldn’t escape the flood. Mufasa then is adrift in a sea of loneliness, lost as the current moves his tired body onto another land, far from where he once called home. In a dangerous scenario where he escapes from being crocodile food, he meets another young cub, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), also known as Scar, later on.
Taka always wanted a brother and pleaded to his mother and father, Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) and Obasi (Lennie James), that they add him to the clan. The former wants to protect the lost cub, but the latter disdains strays. He only wants blood to be part of the clan. After a sequence of events, Obasi accepts Mufasa under the condition that he stays with the females. He hunts with them. And learns a handful of skills that help him get in touch with his surroundings and remembrance. This ability is a gateway for Jenkins’ visual storytelling and other unique filmmaking traits. He replicates some of his distinctive shorts of close-ups and touching collages with the animation.
Glimpses of Barry Jenkins Cinema in the Hollow Canvas
Although these images don’t sire or are nearly as striking as the ones in “Moonlight” or “If Beale Street Could Talk,” it is one of the few things that makes “Mufasa: The Lion King” have some personality and distinction from what came before. Jenkins tries to get some emotion out of the wobbly CGI lions. To his benefit, a spark of his vision and the story’s emotion emerges when the image is in close-up. However, they are too far and between to move the viewer. As Mufasa hunts with Eshe, Taka is with his father, guarding the lands. But one day, a group of lions, white as snow and looking for trouble, attack Eshe and Mufasa.
They get out unscathed, yet the other white lions are on the prowl. Obasi asks Mufasa to go with Taka to a safer place far from there to protect the bloodline. They don’t want to leave them behind to die. There is plenty of remorse, guilt, and angst on their behalf. Mufasa and Taka would have stayed and fought alongside their brothers and sisters. But they have a greater purpose. They must reach the holy land, “Milele,” and get the animals together. And so, they head towards the light–following the tremendous bright sun, searching for the green place. In the process, they meet some friends who join them on their journey for a better life. A gang of strays and outsiders unite the land against evil.
Wants to Cater to a Younger Audience
“Mufasa: The Lion King” is quite a sour experience, almost running cold even with its attempts at crafting heartfelt and charming moments, most of which feel like manipulation upon faux emotions. Jenkins, who has always brought a genuine and caring texture to his projects, is not in his wheelhouse with the multi-million dollar family film in size and production. Despite that, he wants to cater to a younger audience by utilizing his skills and assets. In some ways, he succeeds in adding his vision and artistic touch to this visual effects world. The previously mentioned camera shots speak louder than words, considering how muddled and simplified Nathanson’s screenplay is. A more reflective and silent version of this story would work better than the musical and comedy trapping the original has.
That wouldn’t happen, as it needed to entertain its primary audience. However, a division between reflection and family-friendly fun could benefit the story and Jenkins’ thematic exploration of brotherhood, loneliness, unity, and salvation. There is room for the instance of the source material. However, Disney does not want to capitalize on Jenkins and his knack for the powerfully emotional visual language. And so they drown it in uninspired songwriting and dialogue. Instead, it is all about having heartfelt moments without adequately building up to them or developing the characters’ bonds enough for the audience to care about them and each treacherous step they take in their journey of healing and brotherhood. There are multiple beats with potential on paper containing prose and beauty. If only the film had a better screenplay and tunes.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” hit theaters worldwide on December 19th, 2024.
