It is difficult to look at Mufasa: The Lion King from the outside and not assume it to be the most unnecessary film in ages. A prequel to Jon Favreau’s soulless CGI remake of the Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers 1994 original, it tells the origin story of King Mufasa and his villainous brother Scar. I am not certain precisely who thought there was a story desperately in need of telling here; I assume it was less to do with narrative need and more the US$1.7 billion that Favreau’s remake earned in cinemas.

From the inside, actually watching the new film, there is probably still no non-monetary reason to exist, but Mufasa does offer up an animation with genuine merit. It has problems, and is clearly not going to enjoy the longevity of the Minkoff/Allers film, but it works where it counts and offers up solid family entertainment. In terms of Disney’s core output for 2024, it does not come close to Inside Out 2 but does offer better value for money than last month’s underwhelming Moana 2. The fact that I mentioned three sequels in one sentence is a fair indication of where Disney’s real creative problems currently lie.

Orphaned at a young age, the lion cub Mufasa finds himself rescued from the river by Taka, son and heir to a pride. When a mysterious white lion leads an invasion of their territory, the adopted brothers make a desperate journey to find safety beyond the mountains.

The strongest aspect of Mufasa is how the film looks. Director Barry Jenkins and cinematographer James Laxton have put time, though, and effort into how each moment is framed and animated. They use angles and editing techniques as they would a live-action feature, and it makes Mufasa a beautiful thing at which to look but a dramatic one to enjoy as well. It seems fitting that the film is so cinematic, since it was The Lion King more than any other animated work that first crossed the visual line from cartoon to proper widescreen cinema.

New characters generally work well. Taka’s father Obasi (Lennie James) lounges around his territory like a half-cut Oliver Reed. His mother Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) has a modicum of depth. Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) is a suitably threatening villain, although one wonders if there is a hidden message in The Lion King‘s arch-nemesis being a suspiciously white lion (Kimba, kids: Google it). Aaron Pierre ably takes on the role of Mufasa from the later James Earl Jones, and forms a solid archetypal hero out of it. Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr) is a little rough around the edges, mainly because the film does a pointless little dance hiding that he will grow up to be The Lion King‘s Scar. It is obvious from the get-go.

The character who gains the most from the prequel treatment is Rafiki, played again by John Kani. Benefitting from much more screen time than either Lion King, his is a character that really glues the second half of the film together.

The new songs, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, are without exception forgettable and ordinary. Watching photorealistic lions sing love ballads is certainly a visually off-putting experience, and it is likely the film would be stronger without the musical numbers altogether.

Jenkins is at his strongest when working with new material. Every time the viewer is confronted with a visual reference, musical cue, or grace note linking back to the previous films it throws one’s focus entirely out of the picture. It speaks to a lack of trust in its audience by Disney at a corporate level. The shoe-horning in of fan favourite sidekicks Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) speaks volumes.

We did not need a CGI Lion King prequel, but the one we have been delivered is surprisingly entertaining. We did not need to lose a director of Jenkins’ calibre for four years while he directed it (his last two films were Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk), but we have and it was at least not wasted time or effort. Mufasa: The Lion King is enjoyable enough to catch if you are a child or child at heart. If skipped over in favour of other holiday entertainment, you will not be missing a masterpiece.