‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ First Reactions Praise Disney Film as the ‘Perfect Prequel’ With ‘Astounding’ Visuals: ‘A Story That Deserves to Be Told’

Michaela Zee and Jack Dunn

10 December 2024 at 12:42 am·3-min read

The first reactions to Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” have started pouring in on social media, and members of the press are roaring with excitement over the prequel to the 2019 photorealistic remake of “The Lion King.”

“‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ is the perfect prequel,” wrote Variety‘s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay. “So beautifully crafted. The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nicholas Britell’s score are absolutely divine and music to the ears. Pure joy.”

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Film Independent writer Dana Abercrombie praised the film as “a story that deserves to be told that makes you question what is destiny. Expertly written & crafted, it adds to ‘The Lion King’ franchise by adding more dimension to the characters we love & thought we knew. The visual effects are astounding.”

ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian admitted that “a ‘Lion King’ prequel was not something I was asking for, but the animation is incredible, the songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda are infectious, and the vocal performances make ‘Mufasa’ – dare I say – better than the 2019 version of ‘Lion King.'”

Cinefied film critic Dempsey Pillot wrote, “Pleased to say ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ is really good! But what else would you expect from Barry Jenkins? A biblical exploration of destiny brilliantly disguised as an origin story for Mufasa and Scar. Entertaining, visually stunning, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music did not disappoint!”

Directed by Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”), “Mufasa” explores the early years of the eventual ruler of Pride Rock, including how he and Scar (whose real name is Taka) transition from friends to enemies.

Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. lead the voice talent as the younger versions of Mufasa and Scar, respectively. Other new voices include Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter); Tiffany Boone as Sarabi; Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki; Preston Nyman as Zazu; Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride; Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe; Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi; Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia; and Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego. Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprise their roles from the “The Lion King” remake.

Lin-Manuel Miranda penned the film’s songs, produced by himself and Mark Mancina, with additional music and performances by Lebo M.

“Mufasa” hits theaters Dec. 20.

Check out more reactions below.

“#MufasaTheLionKing is an unexpected blood-thirsty prequel w/ stunning visuals and cinematography but contains subpar songs that don’t advance a contrived story. It’s fine for those interested learning about Mufasa and Taka’s origins. At least the humor provides laughs and levity.” – Michael J. Lee (@IamMichaelJLee)

“#Mufasa is a fantastic prequel that outdoes the first photorealistic ‘The Lion King’ movie by a mile with an original and engaging story, better facial animation, and fun songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It ties nicely to the previous film’s story and you get to see how it all started.” – John Nguyen (@JohnSpartan300)

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