oogie boogie man
Well-Known Member
A lot of people are still willing to spread Disneys lies and act like they are facts.
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Disney’s Mufasa - the lion king
- Thread starter BrianLo
- Start date
A lot of people are still willing to spread Disneys lies and act like they are facts.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
FYI, check out Tim Miller’s just released new Amazon series Secret Level from his Blur Studio. It’s has a few episodes which showcases where the photorealistic animation is heading in the industry for human characters. It even has a photorealistic Keanu Reeves which looks really good.
coffeefan
Well-Known Member
What? Aladdin was one of the best ones, along with JB.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
I'll admit, as someone who's had no interest in this, that the music is quite good. I might check it out after all. I still hate the overall look of the movie (the CGI animals lack the emotion of the animated characters), but maybe there will be an interesting story to tell after all.
They MUST bring Lin Manuel Miranda back for the inevitable Moana 3.
They MUST bring Lin Manuel Miranda back for the inevitable Moana 3.
DisneyWarrior27
Well-Known Member
At least they’re showing emotion and expressions this time compared to the 2019 remake.
I too haven’t been hot on this movie, but credit is they seem to actually be trying. Maybe I’ve been underestimating it, but I still feel dubious that we’re having an Alice through the looking glass moment.
It is also the third tentpole musical, but maybe that audience is having a positive theatrical relationship.
It is also the third tentpole musical, but maybe that audience is having a positive theatrical relationship.
DisneyWarrior27
Well-Known Member
That’s a plus for me to see this movie, as a The Princess and the Frog fan myself.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
My only criticism of the songs is that I think almost all of them – except for "I always Wanted a Brother' — seem a bit too short and need an extra minute to fully develop/build the song. I really like the villain song "Bye Bye" but it feels like we only got the first two-thirds of it.
Hawkeye_2018
Well-Known Member
I dont think it bombs, but I don't think its a huge hit either
DisneyWarrior27
Well-Known Member
Yeah. Might just make $750M WW on a $250M budget.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
Based off the few clips released so far, the facial expressions seem to be an improvement from the 2019 movie, but the characters still aren't nearly as expressive as their 1994 animated counterparts.
DisneyWarrior27
Well-Known Member
I mean sure, but at least them having emotion this time, even if its not as close to the 1994 animated counterpart, at least shows Barry Jenkins is trying with this movie.
DisneyWarrior27
Well-Known Member
Well I’ve seen Disney’s #MufasaTheLionKing. So here’s what I can tell you about it in my spoiler-free review/reaction:
Barry Jenkins cooked and succeeded in making this film the way he wanted, with more wins than losses.
You can see his sensibilities of how he made his previous movies with this movie in specific shots when they come up. Its cinematography, lighting and color grading have more life to it than what we got with Jon Favreau’s cash grab that is the 2019 remake of The Lion King. And just as I still believed, they managed to succeed in ensuring the animal characters would be fully expressive and show emotions this time.
The cast also did a really good job w/ their vocal performances, even Aaron Pierre who, as a man who is faced with living up to the legacy of the legend James Earl Jones (R.I.P. friend), strongly nailed Mufasa as he goes on his path to destiny of going from orphan to king. Kelvin Harrison Jr. also nailed the role of Taka and his downfall into becoming who we all know as Scar. And they did a real good job with the voices of young Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), young Zazu, and young Rafiki (the latter who sounds more closer to how Rafiki sounded in the original 1994 Lion King in some parts). Though no disrespect to John Kani, he’s still strong as present day Rafiki. Plus, the duo of Billy Eichner & Seth Rogen as Timon & Pumbaa still manages to be very funny when we flip back and forth to the present day scenes when Rafiki tells the story of Mufasa and Taka/Scar to Kiara, with those scenes getting the most laughs from my audience, along w/ some scenes from Zazu.
In terms of the new/new-ish characters for this movie, Mads Mikkelsen did a good job in the role of the relentless and very power-hungry Kiros. But in terms of the new characters who stole the show and were the heart of this movie, those honors would go to Blue Ivy Carter as the voice of Kiara, daughter of Simba & Nala, and Disney Legend/Disney Princess Anika Noni Rose (Tiana of #ThePrincessAndTheFrog) herself as Afia, the mother of Mufasa (the heart of the movie and the driving force of Mufasa’s journey in the movie). Also Keith David (Dr. Facilier of The Princess and the Frog) voiced Mufasa’s father Masego, a Disney history deep cut I liked a lot.
In terms of the new songs Lin-Manuel Miranda made for this film, “I Always Wanted A Brother”, “Milele,” and “Bye Bye” were the strongest 3 of the movie, the latter of the 3 which is like if Mr. Miranda mixed “Trust In Me” from 1967’s Jungle Book with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto. The other songs after that including a duet between Sarabi and Mufasa are also good, but I gravitate more to the first 3 just because the first 2 feel more hopeful, upbeat, and very lullaby-ish. Plus as a Disney fan, I liked hearing the voices of Tiana and Facilier singing a duet as Mufasa’s parents, so guess I’m a sucker for that.
I will admit, as per usual with issues people have with prequel films, some explanations of a few details felt random, but I don’t think they’re as groan-causing as many felt with Star Wars: Solo.
All in all, a solid film that is worthy of standing in the canon of The Lion King lore more than the 2019 remake was. In terms of ranking this in the hierarchy of the now 5 Lion King movies, it’d be #3, above Simba’s Pride, underneath Lion King 1 1/2 and the original 1994 Lion King.
Also, there will be tributes to the later James Earl Jones at the start of the movie and a tribute of special thanks to the crew behind Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original 1994 Lion King in the end credits of the film. And keep your eyes open for an Easter egg related to #TheLionGuard, too.
As much as I would’ve preferred seeing this film be hand-drawn animated like in the old days of Disney, I’m not gonna lie when I say this was a solid film.
Final rating for this film… I’m gonna give it 4 out of 5 lion roars.
Barry Jenkins cooked and succeeded in making this film the way he wanted, with more wins than losses.
You can see his sensibilities of how he made his previous movies with this movie in specific shots when they come up. Its cinematography, lighting and color grading have more life to it than what we got with Jon Favreau’s cash grab that is the 2019 remake of The Lion King. And just as I still believed, they managed to succeed in ensuring the animal characters would be fully expressive and show emotions this time.
The cast also did a really good job w/ their vocal performances, even Aaron Pierre who, as a man who is faced with living up to the legacy of the legend James Earl Jones (R.I.P. friend), strongly nailed Mufasa as he goes on his path to destiny of going from orphan to king. Kelvin Harrison Jr. also nailed the role of Taka and his downfall into becoming who we all know as Scar. And they did a real good job with the voices of young Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), young Zazu, and young Rafiki (the latter who sounds more closer to how Rafiki sounded in the original 1994 Lion King in some parts). Though no disrespect to John Kani, he’s still strong as present day Rafiki. Plus, the duo of Billy Eichner & Seth Rogen as Timon & Pumbaa still manages to be very funny when we flip back and forth to the present day scenes when Rafiki tells the story of Mufasa and Taka/Scar to Kiara, with those scenes getting the most laughs from my audience, along w/ some scenes from Zazu.
In terms of the new/new-ish characters for this movie, Mads Mikkelsen did a good job in the role of the relentless and very power-hungry Kiros. But in terms of the new characters who stole the show and were the heart of this movie, those honors would go to Blue Ivy Carter as the voice of Kiara, daughter of Simba & Nala, and Disney Legend/Disney Princess Anika Noni Rose (Tiana of #ThePrincessAndTheFrog) herself as Afia, the mother of Mufasa (the heart of the movie and the driving force of Mufasa’s journey in the movie). Also Keith David (Dr. Facilier of The Princess and the Frog) voiced Mufasa’s father Masego, a Disney history deep cut I liked a lot.
In terms of the new songs Lin-Manuel Miranda made for this film, “I Always Wanted A Brother”, “Milele,” and “Bye Bye” were the strongest 3 of the movie, the latter of the 3 which is like if Mr. Miranda mixed “Trust In Me” from 1967’s Jungle Book with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto. The other songs after that including a duet between Sarabi and Mufasa are also good, but I gravitate more to the first 3 just because the first 2 feel more hopeful, upbeat, and very lullaby-ish. Plus as a Disney fan, I liked hearing the voices of Tiana and Facilier singing a duet as Mufasa’s parents, so guess I’m a sucker for that.
I will admit, as per usual with issues people have with prequel films, some explanations of a few details felt random, but I don’t think they’re as groan-causing as many felt with Star Wars: Solo.
All in all, a solid film that is worthy of standing in the canon of The Lion King lore more than the 2019 remake was. In terms of ranking this in the hierarchy of the now 5 Lion King movies, it’d be #3, above Simba’s Pride, underneath Lion King 1 1/2 and the original 1994 Lion King.
Also, there will be tributes to the later James Earl Jones at the start of the movie and a tribute of special thanks to the crew behind Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original 1994 Lion King in the end credits of the film. And keep your eyes open for an Easter egg related to #TheLionGuard, too.
As much as I would’ve preferred seeing this film be hand-drawn animated like in the old days of Disney, I’m not gonna lie when I say this was a solid film.
Final rating for this film… I’m gonna give it 4 out of 5 lion roars.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Just saw the film, during a preview screening.
I enjoyed it, but I can see the critics roasting this in the reviews.
Spoiler free review from me…
The good -
Great animation ..much better than the last live action LK effort.
Lions have more emotive faces.
Some beautiful scenery and set up shots.
Plenty of eye candy.
A few interesting plot twists…nothing too overly surprising however.
Great musical score, and most of the songs were enjoyable with the exception of one IMO.
The not so good -
Lacking depth in some departments story wise.
A few cheesey moments, including one song segment.
Consistency of the story being told getting ‘interupted’ by comic relief segments.
Yet another modern Disney film that is a ‘one in done’ - enjoyable viewing that one time, but no real desire to view again.
Your mileage may vary…
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I’ve said this for weeks with friends, but ‘Sonic 3’ is going to make stupid money this opening weekend and leave ‘Mufasa’ in the dust.
There is just NO ‘buzz’ for this film.
People don’t seem to be aware that it is even being released…is the marketing off?
The preview I attended earlier tonight had maybe 20 to 25 people in a small threate.
Not looking good….
But I enjoyed seeing it.
The visuals are pretty to look at and the music is good, but beyond that people are going to have differing opinions.
And that in itself is good.
Not seeing this as a blockbuster however.
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I enjoyed it, but I can see the critics roasting this in the reviews.
Spoiler free review from me…
The good -
Great animation ..much better than the last live action LK effort.
Lions have more emotive faces.
Some beautiful scenery and set up shots.
Plenty of eye candy.
A few interesting plot twists…nothing too overly surprising however.
Great musical score, and most of the songs were enjoyable with the exception of one IMO.
The not so good -
Lacking depth in some departments story wise.
A few cheesey moments, including one song segment.
Consistency of the story being told getting ‘interupted’ by comic relief segments.
Yet another modern Disney film that is a ‘one in done’ - enjoyable viewing that one time, but no real desire to view again.
Your mileage may vary…
-
I’ve said this for weeks with friends, but ‘Sonic 3’ is going to make stupid money this opening weekend and leave ‘Mufasa’ in the dust.
There is just NO ‘buzz’ for this film.
People don’t seem to be aware that it is even being released…is the marketing off?
The preview I attended earlier tonight had maybe 20 to 25 people in a small threate.
Not looking good….
But I enjoyed seeing it.
The visuals are pretty to look at and the music is good, but beyond that people are going to have differing opinions.
And that in itself is good.
Not seeing this as a blockbuster however.
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Disney Irish
Premium Member
Both Mufasa and Sonic aren't predicted to be roaring or speeding out of the gate this weekend, $50M/60M respectively.
But we'll see how each does.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
It is.
Some stunning visuals.
The lions are far more expressive as well.
Just wish the story had a bit more to it.
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Ghost93
Well-Known Member
Well, I didn't hate Mufasa, which is itself a miracle, as the 2019 remake of The Lion King is one of my most despised films of all time. The biggest advantage Mufasa has over its predecessor is that it's an original story, so it's easier to judge on its own merits. In contrast, the 2019 Lion King kept inviting comparisons to the far superior 1994 animated classic.
I still think the photorealistic CGI approach is the wrong way to tell this type of story. While the animal characters show more emotions and expressions in Mufasa than they did in the 2019 abomination, they still aren't nearly as expressive as their traditionally animated counterparts.
The biggest issue I had with the story is that Taka (who becomes Scar) is a far more compelling character than Mufasa. Mufasa just doesn't have much personality in this movie, nor a very compelling arc. Taka's journey and his growing resentment of his adopted brother is really where the heart of the movie lies. I found myself surprisingly emotionally moved by the climatic scene
I thought the framing device of Rafki telling the story of Mufasa to Kiara worked to kick off the movie. However, once we flash back to the past, we should have remained in the past until the end of the movie. The constant interruptions to the story so that Timon and Pumbaa could interject with painfully unfunny jokes kept taking me out of the movie and hurt the pacing. The Timon/Pumbaa scenes (which felt like they took up at least 10-15 minutes of the movie) could have been reallocated elsewhere, as there were several rushed plotlines and character beats.
More screentime was needed to flesh out:
1. Mufasa dealing with the loss of his parents. He got over it VERY quickly and it was jarring to see him singing about wanting a brother before he even acknowledged that his father might be dead.
2. Taka developing feelings for Sarabi. He seemed to have a crush on her, but I never bought that he was in love with her. As a result,
3. Taka's growing bitterness/jealousy toward Mufasa. It felt like his entire personality shifted in the course of a single scene. The change needed to be more gradual and Taka needed to show more flaws and signs of snapping earlier on in the movie.
4. Sarabi and Mufasa's romance. It needed to be built up more. Their love song felt unearned.
I thought the songs were good, but their staging lacked creativity. Kiros had a nice villain song, but the visuals accompanying that scene were as bland as possible.
I also thought the need to establish how Pride Rock came to be shaped the way it is completely unnecessary. I assumed it had been like that for centuries. It didn't need an origin story.
Overall, I'd give it a 6/10. While that's not great by any stretch of the imagination, I hated the original 2019 movie so much that I still left the theater for Mufasa feeling pleasantly surprised. I definitely enjoyed it more than Moana 2.
I still think the photorealistic CGI approach is the wrong way to tell this type of story. While the animal characters show more emotions and expressions in Mufasa than they did in the 2019 abomination, they still aren't nearly as expressive as their traditionally animated counterparts.
The biggest issue I had with the story is that Taka (who becomes Scar) is a far more compelling character than Mufasa. Mufasa just doesn't have much personality in this movie, nor a very compelling arc. Taka's journey and his growing resentment of his adopted brother is really where the heart of the movie lies. I found myself surprisingly emotionally moved by the climatic scene
where Taka changes his mind and decides to save Mufasa.
I thought the framing device of Rafki telling the story of Mufasa to Kiara worked to kick off the movie. However, once we flash back to the past, we should have remained in the past until the end of the movie. The constant interruptions to the story so that Timon and Pumbaa could interject with painfully unfunny jokes kept taking me out of the movie and hurt the pacing. The Timon/Pumbaa scenes (which felt like they took up at least 10-15 minutes of the movie) could have been reallocated elsewhere, as there were several rushed plotlines and character beats.
More screentime was needed to flesh out:
1. Mufasa dealing with the loss of his parents. He got over it VERY quickly and it was jarring to see him singing about wanting a brother before he even acknowledged that his father might be dead.
2. Taka developing feelings for Sarabi. He seemed to have a crush on her, but I never bought that he was in love with her. As a result,
him turning against Mufasa over her choosing to be with him felt unearned.
4. Sarabi and Mufasa's romance. It needed to be built up more. Their love song felt unearned.
I thought the songs were good, but their staging lacked creativity. Kiros had a nice villain song, but the visuals accompanying that scene were as bland as possible.
I also thought the need to establish how Pride Rock came to be shaped the way it is completely unnecessary. I assumed it had been like that for centuries. It didn't need an origin story.
Overall, I'd give it a 6/10. While that's not great by any stretch of the imagination, I hated the original 2019 movie so much that I still left the theater for Mufasa feeling pleasantly surprised. I definitely enjoyed it more than Moana 2.
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Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Oof….
