Mufasa: The Lion King
2024 · Directed by Barry Jenkins
Original language: English
- adventure
- family
- animation
The story
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.
What it’s like
Photoreal computer-animated savanna and jungle, rendered so convincingly that the grasslands look sun-warmed and dusty, with golden-hour haze over wide open plains, rain-soaked forest canopies, and roaring waterfalls throwing mist into the light. Camera moves through vast landscapes in long sweeping shots, and the warm, lush palette shifts toward cold blue and dark green when danger arrives. Hans Zimmer's orchestral score swells with African-inspired percussion and voices, with a few musical numbers breaking up the travel. The mood is adventurous and wistful, a friendly, bittersweet journey with plenty of warmth and wonder. Pacing is episodic, moving between a lost-and-found bond, a rivalry, and a betrayal across the journey. Intensity is moderate: several chase and fight sequences, menacing hyenas, and a few sudden, shocking moments of peril, with some grief and loss, but no gore. It suits family viewing, a big-screen spectacle, or anyone wanting a sweeping animated adventure about loyalty and belonging.
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