'Mufasa: The Lion King' - Barry Jenkins Enters the Pride Lands

Barry Jenkins, the celebrated director behind the Oscar-winning Moonlight, makes a surprising leap into mainstream territory with Mufasa: The Lion King. This prequel to Disney's 2019 "photoreal" Lion King remake feels like an odd pairing from the start. Jenkins, known for his ability to craft raw, emotional human dramas set in tangible locations, tackling an entirely computer-generated film about singing animals? It's hardly a shock to learn he nearly passed on the project without even glancing at the script.

Yet, it's clear why he eventually relented. The script's central theme of found family — a powerful undercurrent in Moonlight — resonates here. We meet a young Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) separated from his parents by a raging flash flood. He's reluctantly taken in by another pride, where he finds an adoptive brother in Prince Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Unlike Taka, Mufasa's journey is one of earning his place through sheer adversity and, as it turns out, a touch of feminine perceptiveness, rather than inheriting it.

A Flimsy Foundation

Beyond this core "Jenkins-ness," however, there's surprisingly little to truly sink your teeth into. After an early assault on Taka’s pride by a group of white-furred outsiders (whose overlord is, inevitably, yet another Mads Mikkelsen villain), the story simply trots along from point A to point B. It tosses in some rather predictable romantic tension, with both brothers fancying the spirited lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), and a few pleasant-enough Lin-Manuel Miranda songs. Unfortunately, the songs are let down by choreography that amounts to little more than animals circling about. The entire narrative is framed by a story-time device, with Simba recounting the tale to his cub, which feels less like a natural storytelling choice and more like an excuse for guest appearances from the 2019 film's characters. Most intrusive are the hyperactive, meta ramblings of Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), whose attempts at humor feel desperate to wring laughs from an otherwise mostly sober affair.

Uncanny and Unblemished

And a surprisingly bloodless affair at that. Despite all the photoreal fangs and claws on display, there's only one notable scratch throughout the numerous big-cat conflicts. All the animals somehow remain impeccably pristine, not a single patch of matted fur among them. This, combined with the continued uncanniness of seeing "real" beasts sing and talk, constantly jars with the ultra-realist aesthetic and leaves you yearning for a bolder, more artful approach. Plus, frankly, we could have done without the constant snout-focused, 3D-calibrated framing; hasn't cinema moved past this by now?

Still, if the intention was to distract younger audience members with an inoffensive and well-meaning adventure, Mufasa: The Lion King certainly delivers. It's a shame Jenkins wasn't able to personalize it more, but then again, as they say, that's just the nature of the beast.