I Just Watched 'Mufasa: The Lion King' and One Performance Stood Out Above the Rest

There has always been a special place in my heart for The Lion King. For starters, it was the first movie that ever made me cry (at least that I can remember). It also taught me a bit about toxicity within family dynamics.

When a film is close to your heart, naturally, you have reservations about remakes, sequels, prequels or anything else that might tarnish the original. Five years ago, I took a chance on the live-action version of The Lion King (because of Beyoncé, of course). And for the prequel/sequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, it was somebody else who brought me to the theater: Blue Ivy Carter.

Mufasa: The Lion King focuses on the backstory of Mufasa, the orphaned cub who has a chance encounter with Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. Within this dynamic journey, we meet Blue Ivy’s character Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, who is also the princess heir of Pride Rock.

When Blue Ivy’s casting was first announced, I figured she would be great for the role based on her performance as a narrator in Matthew Cherry’s 2020 audiobook Hair Love, which was part of the reason why director Barry Jenkins decided to cast her for the part. On a recent episode of Radio Andy’s The Jess Cagle Show with Julia Cunningham, Jenkins discussed Blue Ivy’s audition process saying, “I had a sense she would be very prepared, just knowing what I know about that family. Beyoncé’s mom is a very, very lovely, strong woman. I just assume it is all flowing from the top, and I was absolutely right. She was so prepared. And once we booked her and she came to work, it was like working with any of the other actors.”

Blue Ivy’s performance in the film is, indeed, moving. She commands your attention in a subtle manner that is still very much powerful, never losing that sweet charm along the way. She also displays a level of confidence that never wavers because she knows the ins-and-outs of the role she has signed on for. Due to that preparation, she never loses her connection with the audience, and while Mufasa’s story is at the forefront, Kiara’s lineage and importance is still a major standout in the film.

Aaron Pierre is also a highlight as Scar, properly paying homage to Jeremy Iron's legendary voicing 30 years ago. It is important to note that Pierre is playing an earlier version of Scar, meaning he has to evolve the way he portrays the character as Scar doesn't start off being "evil"—his personality slowly changes as he realizes the importance of royalty and power.

All-in-all, I found Mufasa: The Lion King to be an engaging film that explores the origin story of Mufasa nicely (and as I said, Blue Ivy Carter steals the show). The visuals are also better than its 2019 predecessor, in my opinion, and while the original 1994 soundtrack will probably always be superior, I enjoyed hearing Lin Manuel’s musical compositions as well. This is a definitely a movie worth checking out for the holidays.

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