The Face Before Scar: The Lion King prequel leaked to the Web on the eve of its premiere

The prequel to one of Disney Studios' most beloved franchises, "Mufasa: The Lion King," hits the U.S. domestic box office on Friday, December 20. The plot centers on the maturation of future father Simba and his half-brother Scar. Competing with the lion will be the hedgehog - the "Sonic" sequel is being hailed as one of the potential frontrunners for the Christmas battle in the US. Simultaneously with the release in theaters in the Network was a pirated copy of "Mufasa" with Russian voiceover, which is used when showing the film in the CIS countries. Whether the picture will be released in Russia - it is unknown. "Izvestia" familiarized with the prequel.

Lion's share

The continuation of its most successful artistic adaptation of cartoons Disney announced in 2020, a year after the release of the remake of "The Lion King". At the time, the film was more described as a fake wildlife documentary on National Geographic, parasitizing on the legacy of the original 1994 "The Lion King." However, the controversial reviews didn't stop the remake from grossing $1.6 billion on a budget of $260 million.

A still from "Mufasa: The Lion King."

Photo: Walt Disney Pictures

The sequel announced a year later turned out to be a prequel, and the director of the first installment, Jon Favreau, lost the chair to Barry Jenkins, known for the Oscar-winning "Moonlight." The sequel focused not on the lioness Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, but on the story of Mufasa. That said, the future princess is present in the prequel as a listener to the story of her grandfather's formation from Timon, Pumbaa (completely unfunny and unnecessary in this movie) and the mandrill Rafiki (the story of meeting Mufasa is available). Ciara was voiced by Blue Ivy Carter - Beyonce's daughter, who, as in the previous movie, gave her voice to the lioness Nala. True, Russian viewers will not hear it. Even if the film will reach the domestic theaters in the format of pre-screening service, then only in dubbing.

More than one child's psyche (including the author of this text) was broken by the heartbreaking moment of Mufasa's death. Perhaps many of us first recognized the bitterness of loss and betrayal at that very moment. So, to keep younger viewers from relaxing, Disney, with the help of a flash flood, massacres the parents of the future Pride leader even faster than Simba had time to face his traumatic experience in the 1994 and 2019 films. Mufasa himself is washed away by the flood into the lands of a completely different pride, here he is an outsider and a shadow hanging over the already existing dynasty of lions. The compassionate queen-lioness Eshe stands up for him, but not the overbearing leader of the pride, Obasi.

A still from "Mufasa: The Lion King."

Photo: Walt Disney Pictures

However, the lion cub Taka, the shy heir and future leader, sees no threat in his peer. Taka finds in Mufasa the brother he has always dreamed of. But Obassi, in an attempt to preserve the royal lineage, insists that the outsider spend all his time with Eshe and the other females. All this relatively peaceful life comes to an end with the arrival of a pack of ghostly white lions from the scavenger tribe, led by the ruthless Kiros, who dreams of taking over Obassi's land. Next, Mufasa kills Kiros's son - thus blood feud is born. The next part of the movie is Mufasa and Taki's chase from the strangers on their way to the mythical land of Milele. They are joined by the lioness Sarabi, with whom Taka falls in love, although we already know that she will end up staying with Mufasa.

I guess this story really is best understood if you haven't heard anything at all about the source material for some reason. Because we already know what fate is in store for Mufasa, as well as the fact that Taka will grow up to become Scar for sure. The Lion King prequel is rife with references to That Very Scene, with both brothers repeatedly finding themselves dangling on the edge of a precipice or a deadly raging river beneath them. And at one point, Taka does indeed push Mufasa over, but then still, just to save his life. Scar's betrayal in "The Lion King" is only shocking to a child today, so the fact that Mufasa's story is being told while Ciara is still a toddler makes sense.

The new "Lion King" will not be a hit

The more technological modern children's movies become, the less inventive they are. This problem caught up with the Russian "Wizard of Emerald City", the premiere of which thundered this week in Moscow. We see every dollar or ruble invested in visual effects, but we are not immersed in the world on the screen. In Jenkins' movie, the lion cubs are adorable, the animals are so realistic that you can literally feel the velvet of their fur under your fingertips. That said, all the technological magic is dispelled when the animals, echoing the original cartoon, begin to sing. In the animated "The Lion King" it was appropriate, but in the live-action version it looks doubtful. Especially if the soundtrack does not include Elton John.

A still from "Mufasa: The Lion King."

Photo: Walt Disney Pictures

On the Rotten Tomatoes website, the movie still has a modest 52% positive reviews from critics. "Mufasa" is unlikely to be a hit, but give it a bark for the bold attempt to diversify the plot with hints of colonization and for the moments of nostalgia that do arise when watching. Mufasa is majestic in his modesty. "Remember who you are," the admonition to Simba in the voice of James Earl Jones is felt somewhere in the subcortex of the brain. Taki Scar manages to sympathize, even despite who he becomes a little later. But with the story of Simba's mother - the future Queen Sarabi - I wanted to get acquainted more closely. It's just a pity that even in a conventionally animated project female characters are given a negligible amount of screen time. Sarabi's story arc is rapidly shrinking to the status of Mufasa's love interest and a bone of contention between the lion brothers. Well, let's wait for the Princess Kiara solo movie.