The live-action remake of The Lion King that came out a few years ago was very well done. I am not the biggest Lion King fan as I played the Super Nintendo game before I saw the movie and I hated and I mean hated that game! Ever since then, I have had a real problem with The Lion King and never really gave the movie or its sequels a fair chance if I am being honest. However, I can say that I did think the last live-action movie was a good time.
How to Download Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King was released on December 20, 2024. You can expect to be able to download or stream the film from Disney+ several months afers it original release. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
First Impressions of Mufasa: The Lion King
My wife really wanted to go and see Mufasa: The Lion King, to be honest, I was more than ok with waiting for this to hit Disney Plus, but hey, I ended up going to see it. I will start by saying that this movie looks amazing! The way that they make the animals look and move so real is incredible and while I think that the animals look just as good as in the last Lion King movie, I think the backgrounds are much better here.
The Story of Mufasa and Taka (Scar’s Origin)
While this is called Mufasa. This is really the story of Mufasa and Taka, the lion who would go on to become Scar! Mufasa is a young lion who ends up being washed away in a flood and he is found and saved by another young lion called Taka. Taka is the air to the throne of the lion pride that he is part of.
Taka’s grumpy dad wants nothing to do with an outsider like Mufasa so he agrees that he can stay, but he has to live with the lionesses. Living with the lionesses is a good thing as it is here that Mufasa learns all kinds of great tricks like hunting, tracking, and being one with nature. Mufasa and Taka grow up together and are best of friends and brothers who truly do care about each other. Mufasa has no desire to compete for Taka’s crown at all and he is happy and proud of his brother.
Conflict with the Outsiders
However, all is not good as an evil lion pride led by the dastardly Kiros. Kiros leads this pride which is known as The Outsiders and they hunt down Mufasa and Taka, leading to the two having to run for their lives. Along the way they meet Sarabi, Zazu, and Rafiki which I thought was so much fun. The “road trip” part of Mufasa: The Lion King was my favorite part of the movie as we see the characters start to bond and become a rather unconventional family.
The Rise of Mufasa and the Darkness of Scar
Yet, while Mufasa, Sarabi, Rafiki, and Zazu get on great, Scar grows jealous and while we see Mufasa start to become the great leader and honorable lion that we know in The Lion King, we also see the evil side of Scar start to grow here too. Again, I am not the biggest fan of The Lion King, but I have to say, I much preferred this to the last live-action movie and the animated movies as well.
Music and Presentation
I am probably in the minority here, but the songs in the movie did not really click with me all that much. I am not saying that they were bad or anything like that, but they certainly lacked the wow factor that the songs in the original Lion King soundtrack offered. Although, my wife did say that she thought the music in the movie was great and to be honest, she is a huge Lion King fan so you are better taking her word for it.
Final Thoughts
Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the super fun way that Mufasa: The Lion King is presented. The movie takes place in the form of Rafiki telling the story of Mufasa to Kiara and Timon and Pumba, I got a kick out of this and I felt that they gave you just enough of Timon and Pumba to make each time they did get a moment to shine that extra bit special. If you love The Lion King, I am sure you will love this!
