Mufasa: The Lion King

Simply put, it looks really weird when photorealistic lions sing songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. But what really drags Mufasa down is the lackluster storyline and the bluntly obvious screenplay by Jeff Nathanson.

It swings back and forth tonally very awkwardly, but there are some thrilling moments and it is Barry Jenkins' usual cinematographer, James Laxton, so it is quite lovely at times. But I wish Jenkins would take his artistry where it is his.

The script is safe and unoriginal, the voice talent is passable and while the scenes of the creatures racing through fields and prancing through canyons are fine, the drama peaks in the water bodies and on snow-capped mountains.

Barry Jenkins took this behemoth and it didn't entirely defeat him.

Young audiences will have fun following the likable characters and their perilous adventures.

The director keeps a firm if predictable hand on the tiller – the action scenes, such as lions trapped in that flooded river and an elephant stampede – are impressive but the script is limp.

Jenkins can’t be derided for trying to infuse some life into the prequel to one of the most lifeless films ever made. And he mostly succeeds, which is a testament to his singular artistic talent.

While the Cheshire Cat grins of the CGI lions take some getting used to, this somewhat Shakespearean saga of feuding brothers offers modest thrills

“Mufasa” is marginally better than the 2019 film because it moves with the energy of something that is its own rather than an imitation of an earlier film, but it still feels like a whimper more than a roar.

The circle of life flatlines in this mundane, redundant Lion King prequel which sacrifices charm, heart, and comedy in the pursuit of vanguard visuals.