‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Is Dull, Generic Photorealistic Animation Prequel

‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Is Dull, Generic Photorealistic Animation Prequel

By Lynn Venhaus

Woof. Thirty years after its landmark opening, Disney’s “The Lion King” has returned as a computer-animated prequel that’s a mere shell of its majestic and inspired coming-of-age drama origins.

Lacking a creative spark, this misfire is a generic, dull and soulless attempt to go back to the familiar Shakespearean theme, with Biblical roots, to rehash family bonds and destiny. Yawn.

Walt Disney Studios has blended live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, which looks like a nature documentary and has less of an emotional impact.

A nice touch is opening the film with a dedication to James Earl Jones, who voiced the regal Mufasa in Disney projects from the original 1994 to the remake in 2019. He died in September.

To set in motion Mufasa’s journey as a lion cub after his parents (Keith David and Anika Noni Rose) perish in a frightening flood, the wise shaman Rafiki (John Kani) begins telling Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter), the origin story of her grandfather.

Lost and alone, Mufasa, voiced as a young cub by Braelyn Rankins and Aaron Pierre as he gets older, is aided by Taka (Theo Somolu as a cub, Kelvin Harrison Jr. later), an heir to a royal bloodline.

Taka’s father King Obasi (Lennie James) is suspicious of outsiders, but his mother Queen Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) is more understanding, and the future king proves his mettle.

They team up to thwart their vicious foe, a pride of hateful territorial white lions – looking like they’re rolled in flour, I suppose so we can keep them straight – led by the evil Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen).

Mufasa eventually rises to become king of the Pride Lands, but not without much strife and multiple conflicts. He learns the dangers of tribalism and tyranny.

After all, this is the origin story of Scar as well. We eventually find out the reasons why his ‘brother’ Taka becomes bitter and resentful and will eventually betray him more than once.

The pair pick up a couple other strays on an expansive sojourn to the promised land Milele. The orphaned lioness cub Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) falls in love with Mufasa, spurning Taka. Rut-ro. Her screechy scout Zazu (Preston Nyman) the hornbill is back, both helping and hindering.

Returning from the unfortunate 2019 ‘live action’ remake are a younger but still mystical Rafiki (Kagiso Ledigo) and the now annoying self-absorbed duo of Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat as voiced, insufferably, by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner.

Their banter isn’t funny and pulls us away from the journey, not to mention wrecking our “Hakuna Matata” vibe. Every time they start chattering, it halts the trek with forced humor. Their meta references about the 1997 stage musical are odd and seem out of place.

This band of misfits is on what seems to be an endless journey. Directed by the esteemed Barry Jenkins, the shot selection includes wide grand vistas – mimicking drone action above snow-capped mountains and expansive parched savannahs, which alternates with extreme close-ups of lions.

While the vocal work is fine, the remarkably similar visuals make it hard to distinguish the lions. The ensemble is too big to invest in the characters, too.

Emmy, Oscar and Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs usually signal a bright spot in any Disney project but here they seem intrusive. Did we need them? 

They just seem to unnecessarily pad the narrative, telling us what we can see – “Milele” as a beautiful utopia, “I Always Wanted a Brother” as the bonding occurs between Mufasa and Taka, then the love song “Tell Me It’s You” and the friends relying on each other on their trek “We Go Together” (as in “Grease”?).

While his lyrics are always clever, this score pales in comparison to the Elton John – Tim Rice tunes and Hans Zimmer score that each won Oscars, or even his multi-award-winning “Encanto.”

“The Lion King” was the highest grossing film of 1994 and the film became the top home video, holding that record for years. It was adapted for the stage in 1997, earning six Tony Awards and is now the third longest running musical on Broadway and the highest-grossing show of all time.

Its pedigree is undeniable, it’s a favorite with families, and will make a lot of money. But couldn’t they find a fresher, more engaging story than to keep going over the same themes just to appeal to fan service? Nostalgia aside, what are the biggest takeaways? That Disney is going to wring every penny out of the public for its beloved properties until the end of time?

“Mufasa: The Lion King” is an animated adventure family musical directed by Barry Jenkins with the voice-over work of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Blue Ivy Carter, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Preston Nyman. It is rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements and the run time is 2 hours. It opened in theaters on Dec. 20. Lynn’s Grade: C

Aaron Pierre Excels in Socially Conscious Action Thriller “Rebel Ridge”

Aaron Pierre Excels in Socially Conscious Action Thriller “Rebel Ridge”

Featuring a captivating performance from Aaron Pierre, director Jeremy Saulnier’s suspenseful-but-restrained “Rebel Ridge” mixes throwback thrills with earnest social commentary in its story of injustice, heroism, and deep-seated corruption of institutions claiming to serve the greater good.

The film, taking place in the small town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana, centers around Terry Richmond (Pierre), who we first meet cycling en-route to the local courthouse to post bail for his cousin, Mike (C.J. LeBlanc), who is in jail for a drug-related crime. Terry is violently knocked off his bicycle by some Shelby Springs cops who take Terry’s money ($36,000 in cash) using the loophole of a “civil asset forfeiture.” This allows them to seize Terry’s bail funds, with no due process, under the pretense that he’s involved in criminal activity. They dare Terry to contest the “legal” theft in court before leaving him, scraped up from the fall, by the side of the road.

Furious, and recognizing that Mike doesn’t have much time remaining (he’ll likely be killed behind bars), Terry confronts the local police chief, Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). Good ‘ol boy Sandy reveals that the police department has absolutely no intention of returning Terry’s life’s savings.

Although only a couple people are available and willing to help Terry scrounge up the money to post Mike’s bail (including the owners of a Chinese restaurant where Terry previously worked), he allies himself with a troubled court clerk named Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb). Knowing the risks involved but understanding Terry’s pain, Summer agrees to help him uncover a conspiracy that’s gripped the soul of Shelby Springs, finding that the lies and deceit go much further than even she thought possible. 

It doesn’t hurt that Terry is also an ex-Marine who ran the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. He’s smart, determined, and violence-averse, willing to negotiate with his enemies before throwing hands (usually non-lethally). But, as Terry’s deals with Chief Burnne are struck and promptly broken, the game plan shifts. Terry is prepared to use his abilities to fight for Mike, Summer, himself, and the community of Shelby Springs overall.

“Rebel Ridge” is a departure from Saulnier’s previous down-and-dirty efforts “Blue Ruin” and “Green Room,” but no less potent. With a variety of genre influences, from action films like “First Blood” to Westerns to film noir, Saulnier mixes the cartoonish with the grounded amidst crackling dialogue, grim plot twists, and well-choreographed bursts of carnage, enriched by scenes of razor-sharp tension.

Indeed, contrary to other “one-man army” films of its ilk, “Rebel Ridge” is a thinking person’s thriller, rewarding our attention and being about something beyond its familiar framework. Saulnier targets actual legal procedures that protect those in power and take advantage of marginalized communities, trapping his characters in an environment where the only remaining solution is taking matters into their own hands – that is, if they’re willing to risk losing it all in the process. 

“Rebel Ridge” lingers on those consequences, and the fear that the authorities instill within the community; the police department itself grows increasingly desperate to maintain its stranglehold on the public through physical and psychological warfare. “Rebel Ridge,” then, for all its one-liners, wry humor, and expertly-calibrated suspense, isn’t a fantasy. Saulnier underlines the stakes while building towards that ever-important climactic showdown – we root for Terry and his allies each grueling, painful, tragic step of the way.

“Rebel Ridge” wouldn’t be anywhere near as engaging as it is without Pierre, who delivers one of the year’s strongest performances, and stepped in to fill the role after John Boyega’s controversial departure. His Terry is a quiet wrecking ball, coiled-up but patient – with a sense of Right vs. Wrong that he’s compelled to act on, no matter the costs. Pierre’s performance evolves as the film progresses, giving Terry a quiet yet commanding gravitas that doesn’t rely on dialogue. Terry’s anger, sadness, and ever-mounting rage is palpable, and when he’s finally operating at his full combative capabilities, it’s a sight to behold — almost machinelike in the deployment of his “particular set of skills.”

The supporting cast is capable without getting anywhere near as many moments to shine as Pierre. Robb has great chemistry with Pierre, giving Summer unexpected depth. Johnson chews scenery as the detestable Chief – putting on a show of “masculinity” and “strength” while being wholly unprepared for the chaos that Terry brings into the picture. Zsane Jhe is sympathetic yet mysterious as Officer Jessica Sims, who is undergoing her own internal moral battle, and David Denman is almost too effective as a racist cop out for blood.

Saulnier’s direction is lean, muscular, and precise, without relying on stylistic flourishes. David Gallego’s crisp cinematography helps suspense simmer, making the most of mirrors, and frames the action with an unflinching eye (albeit nowhere near as graphically as Saulnier’s previous efforts). Saulnier’s screenplay crackles with wit, mixing in the occasional moment of comedic relief, lending each hushed conversation and high-intensity standoff satisfying spice a la Quentin Tarantino and S. Craig Zahler, enriched by Bill and Will Blair’s pulsing score.

Saulnier doesn’t have a complete grip on pacing, however, and “Rebel Ridge” becomes a bit long-winded in its second half, relying heavily on exposition dumps to keep the story moving. The conclusion, too, powerfully ambiguous and subverting expectations, won’t deliver for those expecting a more traditional experience. But Saulnier operates on a different, far more interesting level. “Rebel Ridge” is his strongest effort yet, also cementing Pierre as a real talent to watch.

“Rebel Ridge” is a 2024 action thriller directed by Jeremy Saulnier and starring Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Zsane Jhe. It is rated R for language, smoking, and violence, and is 2 hours, 11 minutes. It released on Netflix on September 6. Alex’s Grade: A-.

‘Old’ Needs Less Gimmicks, More Substance to be Effective Thriller

‘Old’ Needs Less Gimmicks, More Substance to be Effective Thriller

By Lynn Venhaus
Half-baked and bogged down by subtext, the high concept “Old” fritters away its intriguing potential by dispensing too little explanation in its trouble-in-paradise vacation plot.

A dream vacation turns into a nightmare for tourists at a luxury resort, who start out spending the day at a secluded private beach, but a mysterious and sinister force results in rapid aging, reducing their lives to the remaining hours in the day as they race against time.

And, despite a good cast, the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink story winds up a tedious exercise heavily borrowing from Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” – that age-old chestnut in which a group of people are thrown together at a remote location, but are somehow connected, and the corpse count piles up.

As he is known to do, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan bends time and logic to suit a story about medical testing with tragic results — all for the greater good. Shades of pandemic paranoia!

With his penchant for riddles and games, Shyamalan features some interesting developments — and of course, delivers his patented “twist,” but in the meantime, one can be distracted by things that do not make sense, even for a sci-fi-laced adventure.

However, the script is not an original one, for it is based on a Belgian-Italian graphic novel called “Sandcastle” by Pierre-Oscar Levy and Frederick Peeters.

Ever since the post-atomic age films, starting in the 1950s, mad scientists and unscrupulous doctors have been part of the cinematic landscape. And a luxury resort, with its flip on “The Love Boat” genre, provides both lush and mysterious landscapes.  Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis captures the beauty and the foreboding elements while overwrought music score by Trevor Gureckis swells.

Eleven characters are enjoying fun in the sun when a young woman’s body is found floating in the water (Francesca Eastwood as Madrid). Then, the parents notice their children appear older– their growth acceleration is alarming, and various actors take on the roles of Trent, at first a precocious 6-year-old, and Maddox, 11, when the journey begins, the children of Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps).

Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie play the older teenage siblings. Eliza Scanlen, Beth in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” is the 15-year-old Kara, the daughter of Charles (Rufus Sewell) and Chrystal (Abbey Lee). Their sexual maturation is a tad disconcerting, given the ‘hours’ in the day, as well.

Tensions escalate as the group is at a loss for what’s happening. If this were an episode of “Survivor,” this tribe would have voted the arrogant and unstable doctor, played by Sewell off the island first.

Unfortunately, these characters are all one-note, for there isn’t time to shade them with more nuance. Aaron Pierre plays rapper Mid-Size Sedan, who is looked upon with suspicion by Charles in one of the uglier subplots.

The characters who enter a cave have their heads hurt – but that isn’t explained, and is it symptomatic of what’s taking place? Not sure what’s being pulled here by the characters playing God.

The standard “problems in our marriage” is heavily used and is tiresome, especially with little backstory. Bernal, who hasn’t followed his performance as Che Guevera in 2004’s “The Motorcycle Diaries” with anything on that level film-wise, although was terrific in “Mozart in the Jungle,” disappears into the bland patriarch role. He has little chemistry with Krieps, whose “Phantom Thread” performance was outstanding, even if they are playing a mom-and-dad on the rocks.

Good supporting work is by Ken Leung, who was in the time-twister series “Lost,” as compassionate nurse Jarin, who is married to Patricia, a therapist with epilepsy, well-played by Nikki Amuka-Bird. She is eager for the group to talk it out, but she is largely ignored, as assumptions and rash decisions increase.

We are on a collision course on this death train, and that’s just the way these horrific adventures go for those trapped in isolated surroundings.

Some of the deaths are particularly gruesome, and the camera lingers excessively on a few inevitable demises, with Brett M. Reed the on-the-nose editor. Why do some cuts heal and some don’t? If you value consistency, even in a horror movie, you will be scratching your head.

There is a better movie hidden in this somewhere. While Alfred Hitchcock didn’t hit it out of the park every film, we should expect a well-constructed story if you are goi g to emulate the master of suspense. You don’t need a film scholar to lecture you on what happens and why – it should be obvious.

Shyamalan, who wowed audiences with 1998’s “The Sixth Sense,” but has been hit-or-miss ever since (and I say this as a fan of “Unbreakable,” “Signs,” “The Visit,” “Split” and yes, even the derided “The Village”), will always be worth a look.

While not entirely unwatchable, “Old” is not the satisfying yarn I had hoped it would be.

Oh, and that Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando movie that Charles can’t remember is “The Missouri Breaks.”

“Old” is a 2021 sci-fi thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Abbey Lee, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Eliza Scanlen and Aaron Pierre. Rated PG-13 for strong violence, disturbing images, suggestive content, partial nudity and brief strong language, its run time is 1 hour, 48 minutes. Available in theaters on July 23. Lynn’s Grade: C-.