Mufasa: The Lion King was shown on the big screen for critics before its December 2024 theatrical debut.
Bringing back nearly a dozen characters from 2019’s The Lion King, Mufasa is set to deliver a unique take on the story before the most famous King of Pride Rock. It will highlight Mufasa’s origin story long before the birth of Simba and his relationship with his brother, Taka (who eventually becomes Scar).
After The Lion King grossed nearly $1.7 billion at the global box office, Disney hopes to replicate that success with a third billion-dollar outing this calendar year. With such a short time until its arrival, fans anxiously wait to see how the prequel performs with critics before its public debut.
First Reviews for Mufasa: The Lion King
Critics shared their first reactions to Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King following its first official screenings.
Coming Soon's Jonathan Sim saw plenty of improvements from 2019's The Lion King thanks to "deeper facial expressions and an original story," although he was not impressed with the soundtrack or the film's emotion:
"'MUFASA: THE LION KING' manages to improve upon the 2019 'Lion King' with deeper facial expressions and an original story, but does not impress with the new soundtrack, nor with the story's emotional weight. Breathtaking technology that will make you miss the charm of 2D animation."
Critic Michael J. Lee praised the film for being "an unexpected blood-thirsty prequel" with great visuals, but he lamented the songs not pushing the story forward:
"'Mufasa: The Lion King' 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."
"Mufasa: The Lion King is the perfect prequel," according to Variety's Jazz Tangcay, as the critic gave special praise to Lin-Manuel Miranda's music and the score:
"'Mufasa: The Lion King' is the perfect prequel. So beautifully crafted. The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the score are absolutely divine and music to the ears. Pure joy"
The DisInsider Editor-in-Chief Dempsey Pillot thought the film was "really good," expecting nothing less from director Barry Jenkins as he teased "a biblical exploration of destiny" in the story:
"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!"
The film "occasionally suffers from a bout of prequelitis," as noted by Laughing Place, but it also holds "enough drama, adventure and laughs" to last through its runtime:
"Be prepared! 'Mufasa: The Lion King' occasionally suffers from a bout of prequelitis, but otherwise this movie functions as pleasantly diverting (though semi-tragic) family fare for the holiday season, with just enough drama, adventure and laughs to fill its slightly overlong runtime."
The Koalition's Dana Abercrombie was left "speechless" by Mufasa, noting how it "add[s] more dimension to the characters" who are already so beloved:
"'Mufasa: The Lion King' left me speechless. Its a story that deserves to be told that makes u 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"
While ComicBook's Chris Killian did not see Mufasa as "something [he] was asking for," he heaped heavy praise on the songs and animation while teasing better vocal performances than the original ones:
"I’ll be the first to admit 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.'"
Killian continued to credit the cast, specifically pointing out Aaron Pierre for being "pitch-perfect as a young Mufasa" while being shocked by his singing skills:
"The whole cast is fantastic and Aaron Pierre is pitch-perfect as a young Mufasa. Had no idea my dude could sing like that. I also have to mention how much better the animals emote in this one compared to the 2019 version. It’s a noticeable improvement."
Killian's only critique was that "Timon & Pumbaa’s levity felt a little jarring" with the story, but he still felt the film was much better than he was expecting it to be:
"My one criticism is that Timon & Pumbaa’s levity felt a little jarring in service to the overall story (with the exception of one particularly hilarious sequence they share with Scar that won’t spoil) Ultimately, Mufasa makes for a much better prequel than I was expecting
Will Mufasa Be Disney’s Latest Theatrical Hit?
Disney is having an impressive year, thanks to Inside Out 2 becoming one of the 10 highest-grossing films ever and Deadpool & Wolverine breaking countless records and landing as the highest-grossing R-rated film ever. Disney has high hopes for Mufasa to be just as big of a hit.
These reviews indicate Disney is well on its way to another major success, with some calling Mufasa a better movie than its live-action predecessor. This film may also mark the next step in turning The Lion King into the latest cinematic universe to compete with Hollywood's big guns.
Currently, Disney has no confirmed plans to develop any more live-action Lion King stories after Mufasa hits theaters. However, that could change if it becomes the hit Disney expects it to be.
The original animated film spawned a straight-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, in 1998, along with an in-between movie in 2004 titled The Lion King 1-1/2. While the specifics for new movies are unclear, Disney has no intention of stopping this run of wins in the savanna.
Mufasa: The Lion King will debut in theaters on Friday, December 20.
