Mufasa: The Lion Kingof Early reactions were surprisingly positive, and that shouldn't be surprising thanks to a key difference between it and the 2019 live-action film. The Lion King redo. Although 2019 The Lion King It was a critical failure, it was a huge box office success, making the announcement of a prequel film unsurprising. However, fans of the original The Lion King remained skeptical about Mufasa: The Lion King due to the failures of the 2019 remake, although these early reviews suggested that the prequel worked in many ways where the remake didn't.
Unlike 2019 The Lion Kingwhich was a remake of Disney's beloved 1994 animated film, Mufasa: The Lion King tells an all-new story focused on the origins of Mufasa and Scar. Although 2019 The Lion King didn't leave many fans of the franchise wanting more, Mufasa: The Lion King has been an incredibly interesting film to watch since its announcement. The talent behind Mufasa: The Lion King and its differences from its predecessor are incredibly intriguing, and according to early reviews, these big changes may have been very worthwhile.
What the first positive reactions to Mufasa: The Lion King reveal
The visuals and music were praised
Before the film's big release, the first reactions Mufasa: The Lion King were incredibly positive, revealing a lot about the prequel. One of the most cited compliments to the film has to do with the original songs, with Lin Manuel Miranda behind them. Although they are different from the songs in the 1994 original, critics say they are fantastic additions to the franchise. The film's visual effects were also praised, with the animation and cinematography seemingly being an upgrade over the 2019 remake.
The biggest point of criticism for Mufasa: The Lion King So far has been your story. Although some social media users say the film works for those interested in learning about Mufasa and Scar's origins, others called the story “invented“and that the film”suffers from an attack of prechelitis.” Despite this, the reception Mufasa: The Lion King has been overwhelmingly positive so far, appearing to be a major course correction compared to 2019's live action The Lion King redo.
Barry Jenkins directing Mufasa: The Lion King always had a good shot at being great
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Since then Mufasa: The Lion King was announced, the addition of Barry Jenkins as director was one of the most interesting aspects of the film. Barry Jenkins is the acclaimed director behind Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talkand The Underground Railroadwith him also writing and producing a variety of other acclaimed projects. Due to Barry Jenkins' track record of making smaller, more serious films, many of the director's fans were surprised to learn that he would be working on a major Disney film like Mufasa: The Lion King.
So while Mufasa: The Lion King had to endure the negative reputation of his predecessor, the addition of Barry Jenkins gave the film a good chance of being great. Barry Jenkins has proven time and time again that the things he creates are fantastic, and many fans knew that if Disney let him take control of the project, he would do it again. According to these initial reactions, Barry Jenkins appears to have accomplished this, managing to make Mufasa: The Lion King another fantastic addition to his and Disney's filmography.
Mufasa has another advantage over the Lion King, besides Barry Jenkins
Mufasa tells an original story
Despite having Barry Jenkins directing, Mufasa: The Lion King gives the prequel a big advantage over 2019 The Lion King remake, there is another one too. 2019 The Lion King It had to be a remake of the beloved 1994 filmmeaning it couldn't tell an original story or stray too far from the source material. This meant it would constantly be compared to the animated classic, leading the remake to fail.
Mufasa: The Lion Kinghowever, it is a completely original story set years before the events of The Lion King. This meant that Mufasa: The Lion King it wouldn't have to live up to the original film in the same way, giving it a much better chance of being accepted by fans of the original film. Mufasa: The Lion Kingof critical success could lead to a shift away from Disney's live-action remakes, proving that audiences are looking for more original stories set in the worlds of pre-existing franchises.