The family film from Disney, Mufasa: The Lion King, which tells the story of the mighty father of Simba, is being released in foreign markets. International reviewers have already seen the new release, leading to the first reviews. Overall, critics were disappointed with the prequel. Notably, the project was directed by Barry Jenkins, whose film Moonlight won three Oscars in 2017, including the award for Best Picture.
J. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle:
“Kids will enjoy this movie. Let’s hope that its message about loyalty, family ties, unity, and recognizing those who are different from you achieves it's goal.”
Clarissa Loughrey, Independent (UK):
“Unfortunately, finding Jenkins' style in Mufasa is akin to a blindfolded person wandering into the Louvre and trying to locate the 'Mona Lisa.'”
Rafer Guzman, Newsday:
“Disney certainly knows how to strike an emotional chord, so Mufasa will make you teary-eyed. However, despite the high-quality CGI, it's hard to fully connect with these digital animals.”
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian:
“Overall, it's a decent story set in Disney's occupied continent of talking animals, but at the same time, it's merely a distant relative of the original royal film.”
Tim Grierson, Screen International:
“The CGI visuals remain impressive. There are also moving moments in the second half of the film, where the vulnerable Mufasa accepts his fate. However, like many other origin stories, Mufasa often rephrases what was once the driving force of this material.”
On Rotten Tomatoes, Mufasa currently holds a 59% positive rating.
