Amazingly, three decades have passed since we first set eyes on The Lion King – the joyous animated musical which reminded us that Disney could still create spellbinding cinematic magic after a lacklustre few years.
My children, all born in the 1990s, grew up knowing the words to those Tim Rice/Elton John songs like catechisms. For them, the fruity, baritone menace of Jeremy Irons as Scar defined villainy just as Betty Lou Gerson’s Cruella De Vil, from Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), had for my generation. Meanwhile, Mufasa (James Earl Jones) was a byword for valour.
Those memories of The Lion King were so precious that my children baulked at the idea of seeing the heavily digitalised 2019 remake.
Even then, I assured them that it was fun with a hilarious rendition of Hakuna Matata, the song deployed by the meerkat-warthog double-act Timon and Pumbaa to help princely cub Simba forget his worries.
But they would be right to swerve this overblown sequel. Mufasa: The Lion King (dedicated to Jones, who died in September) strains with every sinew to make us feel the love tonight – to paraphrase one of the original song titles.
It is impressive and spectacular on the eye, with all those computerised bells and whistles bringing the African savannah to vibrant, exhilarating life. Yet the film, directed by Barry Jenkins (who made the Oscar-festooned Moonlight in 2016), is touched with a spot of leonine laryngitis. Hard as it tries, it never quite roars.
Mufasa: The Lion King (dedicated to Jones, who died in September) strains with every sinew to make us feel the love tonight – to paraphrase one of the original song titles, writes Brian Viner
Here we see wise old mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) telling the stirring life story of Simba’s late father, Mufasa, to his wide-eyed granddaughter, Kiara, voiced by Blue Ivy Carter (pictured)
Disney shows characters Kiara, voiced by Blue Ivy, left, and Simba, voiced by Donald Glover
Although a sequel in the sense that the grown-up Simba (voiced by Donald Glover) is now King of the Pride Lands, it is really a prequel. Here we see wise old mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) telling the stirring life story of Simba’s late father, Mufasa, to his wide-eyed granddaughter, Kiara (voiced by Blue Ivy Carter – herself the daughter of US pop royalty Beyonce and Jay-Z). Beyonce is also back in the cast, as Simba’s queen, Nala.
After being swept far away from his parents by raging floodwaters, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) reaches adolescence as the adopted son of kindly queen lioness Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), whose disagreeable mate Obasi (Lennie James) is less accepting of a ‘stray’.
The youthful Mufasa forms a strong fraternal bond with Eshe’s natural son Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jnr), which intensifies when a belligerent army of white lions arrives to conquer Obasi’s pride. Mufasa and Taka escape, with the so-called ‘Outsiders’, led by the ill-tempered Kiros (Mads Mikkelson), in hot pursuit.
This all bowls along watchably enough and, as the pursuers close in, there is a clifftop scene attempting to evoke Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) – although the film lacks the wit to make it sing.
Indeed, it’s a surprise there isn’t more wit throughout. The screenwriter is Jeff Nathanson, whose credits include not just the 2019 remake but also the wonderful thriller Catch Me If You Can (2002).
But, this time, he somehow contrives to make the banter between Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) more tiresome than funny.
The film does its job. It’s a perfectly safe bet for a family outing to the pictures these Christmas holidays. But it’s not as good as the 2019 movie or a whisker on the original
Banter between Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) is more tiresome than funny
Beyonce is also back in the cast, as Simba’s queen, Nala
And most of the songs, though composed and written by Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, are decidedly forgettable. Of course he has a mighty act to follow. Tim Rice nailed the lyrics perfectly back in 1994. But this isn’t even tepid, reheated Rice.
As Mufasa and Taka seek the elysian, sun-drenched lands known as Milele, the chase rather oddly takes them across a snowy mountain range.
In response to pedants concerned about the unexpected arrival of Himalayan-style avalanches in sub-Saharan Africa, the film-makers might point out that meerkats and warthogs don’t buddy up in real life, either. Or maybe it’s their mischievous nod to climate change. Either way, it’s a bit weird.
Still, the ultimate objective of all this is to show us how Mufasa overcame a traumatic cubhood to grow into a heroic king. It also touches on what became of Taka, who, in a climactic fight and no spoiler intended, acquires a nasty facial… scar.
In that respect, the film does its job. It’s a perfectly safe bet for a family outing to the pictures these Christmas holidays. But it’s not as good as the 2019 movie, and not a whisker on the magnificent original.
Mufasa: The Lion King opens on Friday
