After the realistic remake of The Lion King shattered box office expectations and brought home a box office haul of $1.6 billion, it was just a matter of time before Disney tried to squeeze a few extra bucks from the franchise. However, instead of greenlighting a sequel, Disney followed the opposite direction and funded the prequel story of Mufasa. Mufasa: The Lion King has a lot of ground to cover, as it tells the story of Mufasa from cub to king. In addition, the movie also explains how fan-favorite characters such as Zazu and Rafiki joined the royal service. Finally, the prequel also explains why Scar is so bitter in The Lion King, going as far as murdering his brother to take power for himself. Unfortunately, Scar’s descent into villainy is so shallow that it worsens the character.
While The Lion King alludes to Mufasa belonging to a long line of monarchs, the prequel reveals he was born from common blood. When he was just a cub, Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) lost his parents in a flood, being dragged away many miles from home. He’s rescued by Taka (voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr.), aka Scar, a prince in one of the many lion kingdoms spread across the African plains.
Taka is ecstatic to find another cub, as he always wanted a brother. However, Taka’s father, Obasi (voiced by Lennie James), wants nothing to do with Mufasa; the king believes having a male cub around could threaten his own son’s path to the throne. As a result, Mufasa is raised by Taka’s mother, Eshe (voiced by Thandie Newton), who teaches him how to hunt and track like a lioness. Taka wishes he could spend more time with his mother like Mufasa does, but Obasi forbids him; the prince’s place is at his father’s side, not with the females. Still, Mufasa: The Lion King shows no sign of jealousy between the siblings.
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Taka and Mufasa’s relationship evolves after the kingdom is attacked by the forces of Kiros (voiced by Mads Mikkelsen), a white lion determined to wipe out every royal bloodline. When Kiros’ lions attack Eshe, Mufasa defends his adoptive mother, while Taka is too afraid to fight and flees. Obasi praises Mufasa for his bravery, sending him away with Taka so the two can escape Kiros’ wrath. Again, while this development is emotionally charged, the movie shows no resentment of Taka towards Mufasa. The prince is ashamed of being unable to fight like his brother, but the two remain inseparable. That only changes for the dumbest reason: Taka and Mufasa get dragged into a love triangle.
A Love Triangle Is the Worst Way to Justify Scar’s Actions
To escape Kiros, Mufasa and Taka journey towards the fabled lands of Milele, a place of lush green where there’s food for every animal in the circle of life. Along the path, they forge alliances with different characters, including the lioness princess Sarabi (voiced by Tiffany Boone). Taka is lovestruck by Sarabi and asks Mufasa to help him win her heart. Mufasa does everything his brother asks, including lying about a daring rescue where Sarabi has been knocked out. Unfortunately for Taka, Sarabi soon uncovers the truth despite Mufasa’s best efforts to hide his value. Sarabi falls in love with Mufasa, who is also fond of the princess.
That’s it. That’s the whole reason why Taka decides to turn evil. He sees Mufasa being with Sarabi as treason and changes teams to help Kiros kill everyone. To be clear, unfulfilled love is indeed painful. There’s no question about that. Still, Mufasa: The Lion King doesn’t have a scene where Mufasa works against his brother’s wishes. On the contrary! So, turning into a homicidal maniac is not the appropriate response.
To make matters worse, Taka suddenly begins to resent Mufasa for other reasons after his romantic disillusionment. He claims Mufasa stole his mother’s love and his father’s admiration, even though the movie explicitly shows how Taka was always well-regarded in the kingdom while Mufasa was a pariah until he saved Eshe. It takes a logical leap to believe Taka could plan to murder his brother just because he’s heartbroken by a situation that was obviously outside Mufasa’s control.
In both versions of The Lion King, Scar appears as a power-thirsty lion who envies his brother’s kingdom. His motivations are political, as he wants to rule the lands with an iron fist. Scar is originally a threatening figure who compensates for his lack of physical strength with dangerous machinations and sweet lies. It’s appalling that the prequel decided to destroy the rich tapestry of the villain’s emotions and replace it with a high-school-level jealous tantrum. Watching Scar killing Mufasa will hit differently from now forward, and not in a good way.
Mufasa: The Lion King is currently available in theaters.
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