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(Mild spoilers ahead.) 🦁

Very rarely does a live-action remake of an iconic animation get my attention, especially when it’s a film that’s practically the culmination of my childhood. So when the live-action The Lion King was released in 2019, I was slightly annoyed at the idea – but I relented to nostalgia and gave it a watch anyway.

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READ MORE: How Gen Z’s Love For The Past Is Shaping The Future

The latest installation, Mufasa: The Lion King, is the origin story of Mufasa as told by Rafiki to Simba’s daughter, Kiara (voiced by Blue Ivy Carter). The usual suspects also include Timon and Pumbaa who always provide welcome comic relief.

© 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I personally felt that the film is best suited for a slightly more mature audience. It deals with some pretty deep themes, and the musical numbers by Lin-Manuel Miranda felt like an attempt to soften the heaviness of the story so that it can pander to younger kids… but who knows? Kids these days might be more mature than I give ‘em credit for.

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That said, Mufasa: The Lion King doesn’t only focus on the story of how one orphan became king, it also tells us the story of how one brother became scarred by abandonment issues and jealousy that left a mark so deep – not only on his face, but in his life.

Scarred? Or scared?

© 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

When a great flood separates baby Mufasa from his parents, he is swept by currents to a far and distant land where he’s found by Taka (a.k.a Scar).

Taka is overjoyed at the prospect of having a brother and immediately welcomes Mufasa in with open paws (going so far as letting him win a race so that his grumpy dad will allow a stray to be a part of their family), and they break out into a song about their brotherly bond.

All’s well and cute between the bros!!

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Until a girl enters the chat. 

But before that even happens, it’s imperative we understand Taka’s backstory. Taka is the heir to a royal bloodline. He’s a sweet, young, momma’s cub that’s constantly trying to win his father’s approval.

He’s not allowed to hunt with the females like Mufasa does (because kings sleep while the women do all the work—is that why they’re called a PRIDE???) and so he isn’t as skilful and brave as Mufasa.

He always tries to do the right thing, but it often doesn’t pay off in ways that play out to his best interests. 

Most importantly, he doesn’t actually hate Mufasa. He loves him. At first.

In his villain era

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Sure, origin stories help us understand character arcs – but they’re also a window for us to understand humanity.

The question is not why do bad things happen to good people; it’s why do bad things happen to good people that make them bad people, that do bad things to good people. 

See?

© 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In Taka’s case, his deep need for validation that stemmed from his daddy issues is magnified when his affection for Sarabi (who later becomes Mufasa’s boo) isn’t reciprocated. 

And how can it be, when Taka doesn’t know how to love as deeply and genuinely as Mufasa? How could he have known what real love is when it was never given to him?

Mufasa on the other hand, despite his tragic backstory of being orphaned by a great flood, has had a taste of what it means to be truly loved by his family. Might be a controversial take – but in many ways, he was handed better cards than Taka.

You can’t just Hakuna Matata your way out of everything in life

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We’ve seen villain arcs like this in many other films, where characters take a beating so hard that they become antagonistic as a sort of coping/defense mechanism to get through life. It’s not hard for us to empathise with villains once we get a glimpse of their backstory.

I’m not saying it justifies their behaviour, but people (and lions, apparently) are complex creatures, and films like this allow us to understand that there are always two sides to the story, and that we’re all a product of our circumstances.

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In Mufasa: The Lion King, when jealousy and bitterness clouded Taka, the voice of his father echoed in his ears – a voice that pushed him further down that road instead of away from it.

It’s an interesting contrast to an earlier scene of baby Mufasa trying to survive the flood. Mufasa’s mother kept telling him to “Listen to his father” – but in Mufasa’s case, his father’s voice was one that gave him life, and prompted him to go in the right direction.

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It’s not easy to break generational patterns, and Mufasa: The Lion King shows us that. Despite Mufasa being the ‘adopted’ son, his lineage isn’t one that’s tainted with bitterness, rage, pride, and jealousy.

Mufasa’s journey from orphan to king is an epic story, but what’s noteworthy is that the King of Pride Lands cannot be the one with the undealt trauma, despite how sorry we feel for them. Because then, the circle will never end. 

And that ‘rule’ doesn’t just apply to Disney films, it applies to us in the real world as well.

The Circle of Life 2.0

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Overall, Mufasa: The Lion King was a goodwatch, and I’d say much of the credit for the interesting bits of the film has to do with it being a Barry Jenkins film.

Jenkins’ previous films include Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk, and he’s great at telling stories that deal with themes of human connection, love, and self-discovery.

He definitely brought that to the table with Mufasa: The Lion King, especially in the execution of the love triangle between Mufasa, Taka, and Sarabi, and Taka’s family dynamics.

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Mufasa: The Lion King also has a recurring theme of familial legacy that’s not uncommon with Disney films. In a way, the Circle of Life theme was very apparent, as the whole movie was about Kiara listening to a story about her grandfather, and a legacy that’s being passed down to her.

Is it a must-watch?

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Not necessarily, but it will be enjoyable for kids even if they miss the plot.

If you’re a millennial who wants something nostalgic to delve into this Christmas, then Mufasa: The Lion King can do that for you.

Plus, it might just help you make sense of some of your relatives’ insufferable behaviours at family gatherings.

Mufasa: The Lion King is playing in cinemas nationwide from 19 December 2024.

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