Article by Olivia Simonson, Photo by Olivia Simonson
Spoiler Warning
From Mar. 27 through Mar. 29, the Huskies Events and Activities Team (HEAT) at St. Cloud State University hosts a movie in the Atwood Theater of Mufasa: The Lion King. The prequel follows Mufasa as he becomes king and Scar begins to become villainous. While the movie did have some high points, it was still obvious that this was another one of Disney’s cash grabs.
First off, this prequel is unnecessary. This isn’t like The Godfather: Part 2 or Solo: A Star Wars Story, where the characters chosen had a mysterious past that warranted their own story. Mufasa was king, and we assumed that was because of birth order. Scar was jealous because he wanted to be king. That’s where their story began and ended, so giving them a prequel was just not needed.
That being said, this was a better movie than I originally thought it was going to be. It also introduced how the brothers met Sarabi, Zazu, and Rafiki. It was still an average movie overall, but it did have its high points throughout.
The plot overall was average. I was not a fan of how the writers made this a story that Rafiki was telling this as a “story” to young Kiara. They do get points for keeping her name Kiara, as she is present in the second animated Lion King, but it just felt so awkward cutting between Mufasa’s journey and Kiara’s questions.
I did like the idea of Mufasa being adopted. The way Eshe raises him versus how Obasi raises Scar is interesting to watch, and it is shown throughout the movie. Mufasa’s bravery vs. Scar’s cowardice is the biggest one, but it also looks at their entitlement to the throne. We know that eventually Mufasa will inherit the throne, but this movie looks at which brother is worthy of it, regardless of birth.
We also have to talk about the villain. I was a huge fan of Kiros, and I was so thrilled that he was inherently evil. Yes, he was doing this to avenge his son, but even when we meet him, he wants ultimate power. The biggest thing is that he’s willing to kill for ultimate power, which is something Disney has avoided in their latest movies. He also gets killed off similar to a classic Disney villain, and I was cheering in the theater. Besides his solo song, which I will adress in a minute, he is my favorite villain Disney has put forward in recent years.
When it came to animation, Disney took the budget Moana 2 should’ve had and gave it to this movie. The animals were done so well, but it really was the landscaping and lighting that stole the show. My personal favorite were the scenes where Mufasa was under water. The usage of light and blue was so stunning on the big screen, and it was hard to look away.
This is also a musical, and it would be unfair not to address the songs. Lin Manuel Miranda wrote the music for this, unlike Moana 2, and overall, he did a pretty good job. There is no denying that this man can write ballads. The duet between Sarabi and Mufasa was so emotional and dynamic, I was captivated the entire time. For the most part, the songs fit the movie and their specific scenes so well. A couple have been trending on social media and criticized, but when set in the movie itself, the songs make sense.
My only issue with the music was the villain song. The original Lion King was known for its music, and ‘Be Prepared’ is one of Disney’s greatest villain songs to be written. I expected the villain song in this movie to chill me to the bone, and it did not. Having such a cold-hearted villain say the phrase “Bye Bye” in a song was just jarring, especially the tone he sings it in. There was just a disconnect between the character and the music, and it was one of the times in the theater I was cringing.
I also want to address the humor in this film. Most of the jokes didn’t land and hand me rolling my eyes every time a joke pops up. Timon and Pumba are present in the film, but I wish they weren’t. Their presence felt forced and just took me out of Mufasa’s story at times, and by the end I was getting really annoyed with them.
Also, for a fun fact, Scar was originally named Taka, and that translates to Garbage. They named their future king Garbage.
Anyways, this movie did what it was supposed to do, but it wasn’t great by any means. The music and the villain really carried this movie, but it did have its flaws that ruined my immersion into the story.
Recent Comments