Completely unnecessary, boring sequel shows the repetitive Circle of Life at Disney

It’s the circle of life at Disney – another boring sequel is born.

Actually, the lackluster “Mufasa: The Lion King” is a sequel And a prequel to the 1994 classic that was already unnecessarily remade in 2019.

The existence of this sequel to Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, is similarly mysterious.

The origin story of how Simba Pop grew up and took the throne is thin as a reed but elephantine in pace. With so many similar-looking lions that it’s hard to tell apart and repetitive action sequences that stun you, you think, “Oh, I can’t wait to get home!”

Despite the constant danger, the money heist remains a musical. The generally upbeat songs are by Lin-Manuel Miranda and not the original Elton John and Tim Rice. This duo turned the 1980s and ’90s House of Mouse formula on its head by composing pop hits instead of show tunes, and got huge success in return.

Miranda’s softer titles are more akin to children’s television – albeit without the catchy tunes – for fear of being too scary or funny.

The numbers “I Always Wanted a Brother” and “Bye Bye” are cute, toned-down knockoffs of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Be Prepared.”

And since “Mufasa” is again animated in that awful photorealistic style, we’re watching what appear to be real, expressionless lions awkwardly singing these little ditties.

The facial movements are slightly better than 2019, yes, but still weird. The design is a technical feat, which doesn’t make it any less wrong for cartoon material. Shouldn’t these creatures of “Planet Earth” be busy killing gazelles?

More like legacies.

“Mufasa” begins in the future with adult Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), who have a daughter of their own, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter).

When Simba sets out to find his wife, he leaves Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa (John Kani, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen) to look after the frightened Kiara and tell her the story of her late grandfather.

The setting – Timon and Pumbaa singing a parody called “Hakana Mufasa” and cracking stupid jokes about the Broadway show – is just as cheesy as the rest. Its misguided inclusion is the reason this film is bloated for two hours.

Little Mufasa’s journey begins in earnest when a flood sweeps him far away from his non-royal parents into the clan of a king and queen, Obasi (Lennie James) and Eshe (Thandiwe Newton).

Obasi hates him: “What do we do when we come across an outsider? Eat it!” – but Eshe and her son Taka want the guy to stay.

Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) grows older and learns to read nature from the wind – i.e. there’s a herd of whatever over there.

Eventually, he sets out with his adoptive brother Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) in search of the fabled land of Milele, a paradise where his new clan can be safe from the outsiders, a fearsome group of white lions led by Kiros ( Mads Mikkelsen).

A bonus: Maybe his parents will be there too.

The pretty lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) also joins the hike and drives a wedge between Taka and Mufasa, with whom she makes herself comfortable. Honestly I couldn’t feel the love tonight.

Jenkins provides some visual tension, particularly his fishbowl close-ups of Mufasa during the chase sequences. But they never feel like they belong in The Lion King.

On this jam-packed ride we also learn where the wise Rafiki, the royal advisor Zazu, the evil Scar and even Pride Rock come from. Who cares? The background stories only make us long for the incomparable 2D original.

In 1994, The Lion King was a big, bold risk for Disney. The film was a “Hamlet” riff in which there were neither princesses nor humans; It was not composed by hitmakers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The so-called “B-Team” was there. Apparently the step was worth it.

In this film, the fallen Mufasa has some words for Simba that Disney should heed: “You are more than what you have become.”