‘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

Bleak ‘The Midnight Sky’ Never Warms Up

Bleak ‘The Midnight Sky’ Never Warms Up

By Lynn Venhaus
Regret and redemption are threads running through this bleak post-apocalyptic tale that wants to have both a human touch and a big picture narrative with its duel storylines.

The year is 2049. On Earth, some mysterious catastrophe has wreaked havoc. Instead of bailing like his fellow scientists, Augustine (George Clooney) stays at the research station in the Arctic Circle. Dying of cancer, he assumes he is alone. But finds that a young girl was left behind.

When he realizes the U.S. spaceship Aether, whose work on Jupiter is over, is heading home, he tries to message them not to return or they will be in danger. It is a race against the clock.

The trouble with “The Midnight Sky” is that both journeys – in space and on land – have gaping plot holes. I tend to overthink when I’m watching science fiction, but this is hard to connect the dots at times because information – and backstory – is dispensed so stingily or not at all.

For instance, the ship’s captain, Adewole (David Oyelowo) and assistant Sully (Felicity Jones) are having a baby together but they don’t show any evidence of themselves as a couple.

In flashback, George Clooney’s character Augustine is played by Ethan Peck, the grandson of legendary actor Gregory Peck. A clip of the elder Peck’s 1959 post-nuclear bomb film, “On the Beach,” is watched by pilot Mitchell (Kyle Chandler).

Based on Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel, “Good Morning, Midnight,” this was meant to be a cautionary tale on climate change, but then a global pandemic hit, so the theme of regret at a time of great peril – and reflecting over life’s choices – struck a timely chord.

Screenwriter Mark L. Smith, who co-wrote “The Revenant,” adapted the 2016 book, and some characters have been altered. You do get a “Gravity Meets the Revenant” vibe, but it is also reminiscent of elements in “Ad Astra,” “Interstellar” and “The Martian.”

Clooney, a magnetic actor, hasn’t been in a film since 2016 “Money Monster,” and when you first see him on screen, as this dying, haggard 70-year-old loner, you may gasp. He goes all in as a guy driven by science that had little time for a personal life. He brings an emotional depth to the taciturn character.

His poignant scenes with newcomer Caoilinn Springall as the young girl left behind have an unexpected tenderness. 

As a director, Clooney’s efforts have been hit and miss, but he’s a sharp observer and takes on dramas that have something to say (“Good Night, Good Luck”). This film, with its grand space vistas and its harsh Arctic conditions, is more technically challenging, and Clooney is overwhelmed by its scope.

The visual effects are outstanding and cinematographer Martin Ruhe has done fine work here under grueling conditions. Alexander DeSplat’s score excels in both heavenly and earthly depictions.

However, Clooney is at his best with other good actors, and this is an ace ensemble.

For all its noble intentions, after a long slog, the film leaves us wanting more. Nevertheless, we are left with a glimmer of hope, and I’ll take it.

“The Midnight Sky” is a science fiction-fantasy drama directed by George Clooney. Starring Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Damian Bechir, Tiffany Boone and Caoilinn Springall, the film runs 1 hour, 58 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some bloody images and brief strong language. Lynn’s Grade: C+. It is available on Netflix beginning Dec. 23.