‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Gets Underwhelming 58% Rotten Tomatoes Score

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As a longtime Disney enthusiast and someone who has grown up with the original “The Lion King,” I must say that my feelings about “Mufasa: The Lion King” are as complex as young Simba’s relationship with his father.

The feedback for “Mufasa: The Lion King” has been collected, and so far, the response from critics has been varied. Although the concept of a prequel to “The Lion King” initially seemed like a money-grabbing attempt to expand the franchise, when Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins was appointed as director, it sparked anticipation about what the film might become. It was expected that “Mufasa: The Lion King” would dominate the holiday box office, but it’s now facing stiff competition from “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” Disney had hoped that positive critical reviews for “Mufasa” would generate excitement during the holidays, and while it didn’t turn out to be a complete flop, it hasn’t been a resounding success either.

The movie “The Lion King,” as per Rotten Tomatoes, currently holds a rating of 58%, based on 52 reviews. This places it slightly above average, but just enough for it to be considered ‘rotten.’ However, this score is not indicative of its quality, as several top-notch critics have offered positive feedback.

The voices of the exceptional ensemble are filled with depth, warmth, and energy. Although the tunes created by the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda (with significant input from Lebo M.) may not become timeless classics, they remain catchy and smart.

However, there were just as many negative reviews. MovieWeb‘s own Julian Roman gave the film a 4/10 and said, “The photorealistic CGI animation is admittedly breathtaking, especially in IMAX 3D, but no amount of bells and whistles visual effects can make up for a plodding pace, predictable story, and worst of all, not one memorable song to inspire sing-alongs.” IndieWire‘s Alison Foreman gave the movie a C+ rating and said, “Despite Jenkins’ track record and clear artistic touch, the light of Favreau’s semi-success taints everything all it touches here.” Witney Seibold of Slashfilm didn’t mince words when he said, “Seeing how Mufasa from “The Lion King” grew up is little more than pop filler. It’s a Silmarillion for Disney Adults. It’s ultimately kind of useless.”

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As a cinephile, I can’t help but point out that the recent release, “Mufasa: The Lion King“, seems to have outshone 2019’s version of “The Lion King“. Although the latter raked in an impressive $1.6 billion globally and made history as one of the highest-grossing films ever, the general response to it was largely unfavorable. Many critics and viewers felt that it was merely a rehash of the 1994 classic, and they criticized the CGI animals for their lack of facial expression, which was attributed to an overemphasis on realism. On the other hand, “Mufasa: The Lion King“, by telling its own story, even as a prequel, appears to have the upper hand in terms of standing independently.

A recurring comment among critics is that Mufasa’s songs in The Lion King were unimpressive. Despite Lin-Manuel Miranda, who has penned some of Disney’s most enchanting contemporary tunes for films like Moana and Encanto, seemingly falling short in this instance, there’s hope that the music from the upcoming Moana sequel will be more well-received by both fans and young children compared to those found in Mufasa: The Lion King.

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2024-12-17 22:32