Barry Jenkins' deft hand and Lin-Manuel Miranda's music go some way towards squaring the Circle of Life in Mufasa, but this fitfully soulful story is ill-served by its impersonal, photorealistic animation style.
The script is safe and unoriginal, the voice talent is passable and while the scenes of the creatures racing through fields and prancing through canyons are fine, the drama peaks in the water bodies and on snow-capped mountains.
Read full articleBarry Jenkins took this behemoth and it didn't entirely defeat him.
Read full articleYoung audiences will have fun following the likable characters and their perilous adventures.
Read full articleThe director keeps a firm if predictable hand on the tiller – the action scenes, such as lions trapped in that flooded river and an elephant stampede – are impressive but the script is limp.
Read full articleMaybe this reads like we’re making excuses, but it feels like the main issues with the film fall beyond Jenkins’ purview as a director...
Read full articleUltimately, a more or less adequate Disney prequel is a waste of the gifts of a director who has poetry in his heart and other, more important stories to tell.
Read full articleThe Hindi dub of Mufasa: The Lion King, at first flush, represents an improbable marriage. But it is one that is made in heaven.
Read full articleI'm not a fan of these live action updates, but I really did like this one.
Read full articleThis addition to the Lion King franchise maintains a more than satisfactory standard in all its aspects, but at the same time it feels quite artificial and calculated. [Full review in Spanish]
Read full articleBetween its dazzling landscapes and dreamy close-ups, Mufasa is a fitfully stylish, stirring addition to the legacy of one of Disney's crowning glories.
Read full article
