'Mufasa' review: Why you (and your kids) will love this fresh take on 'Lion King' tale

Concerned about Barry Jenkins doing a “Lion King” movie? Hakuna matata!

Sometimes the odd pairing of auteur director and franchise property just works, like James Gunn making Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Christopher Nolan tackling Batman, or Jenkins visiting the Pride Lands. And with crowd-pleasing “Mufasa: The Lion King” (★★★ out of four; rated PG; in theaters Friday), the Oscar-winning “Moonlight” filmmaker brings impressive depth to the Shakespearean origin story of Mufasa and Scar, two best friends turned rivals.

At the same time, the adventurous sequel/prequel to 2019’s hybrid live-action/computer-generated “Lion King” (and ostensibly the 1994 animated classic) is not so serious that it alienates youngsters. The new movie offers peppy Lin-Manuel Miranda songs, plenty of kid humor, a loving tribute to original Mufasa James Earl Jones, and a notable film debut by Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

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Blue stars as Kiara, the princess cub of Simba (voiced by Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé). When Nala is away in a nearby forest and a nasty storm arrives, Mufasa heads out to look for her, leaving a worried Kiara in the hands of wise mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) and comic-relief duo Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen).

To keep Kiara's mind off things, Rafiki tells the story of young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), who got washed away from his family by a huge flood and was saved by Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the prince of his pride who shows early signs of his craven nature and eventual heel turn as Scar. Taka has dreamed of having a sibling, his father Obasi is loath to take in a “stray,” but kind mother Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) adopts brave Mufasa as her own and he’s tasked to protect the insecure Taka.

After they run afoul of vicious white lion Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) and his outsiders, and deal Kiros an emotionally savage blow, Mufasa and Taka meet Rafiki, Mufasa’s future feathered confidant Zazu (Preston Nyman) and orphaned lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) on a quest to find the lush, legendary kingdom of Milele. But Kiros isn’t their only problem, as a love triangle threatens the group’s tight-knit relationship.

“Mufasa” is a definite improvement on the 2019 retread, which like the new “Lion King” was written by Jeff Nathanson. The photorealistic landscapes and animals feel more natural here in a fresh exploration of identity, friendship, empathy and found family – in short, a Barry Jenkins movie.

Yet the story Rafiki tells Kiara is so thematically rich that the frequent shifts back to present day, usually involving some lighthearted Timon jokes, don’t do the narrative momentum many favors. Parents might find them disruptive, though their children will appreciate the tonal change-ups.

For kids of all ages, music has been a "Lion King" staple as it moved from screen to stage with a Broadway show. The new “Mufasa” songs boost the movie's character development and overall grandeur, plus work well in concert with snippets from the OG Elton John/Tim Rice tunes. Miranda's tracks are also different than, say, his “Moana” anthems – these songs lean more “Hamilton” in the way they flesh out personality and feature characters conversing in musical counterpoint with one another. (Also, Taka/Scar is totally Aaron Burr.)

Pierre and Harrison are solid predecessors to original animated stars Jones and Jeremy Irons in giving their voice roles needed gravitas, and they sing the lively “I Always Wanted a Brother" as Mufasa and Taka scamper around in a sort of heartwarming happiness that we all know won't last. Mikkelson’s Kiros croons the playfully menacing “Bye Bye,” while Mufasa and Sarabi share their growing feelings in the ballad “Tell Me It's You.” (Then there’s “Brother Betrayed,” which pretty much speaks for itself.)

That Circle of Life everybody was singing about three decades ago? Thanks to Jenkins’ inimitable grace and Miranda’s tuneful swagger, it continues to feel vibrant.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Mufasa' review: Why you will love this new take on 'Lion King' tale