‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ review: Unnecessary, boring sequel

It’s the Circle of Life at Disney — another boring sequel has been born.

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

The existence of this follow-up, somehow directed by Barry Jenkins of “Moonlight,” is similarly puzzling.

Its origin story about how Simba’s pop came of age and ascended the throne is as thin as a reed but elephantine in pace. With so many look-alike lions who are hard to tell apart and repetitive action sequences that numb the noggin, you think, “Oh, I just can’t wait to be home!”

Despite the nonstop peril, the cash grab remains a musical. The generically upbeat songs are by Lin-Manuel Miranda rather than the original’s Elton John and Tim Rice. That duo upended the House of Mouse’s 1980s and ’90s formula by composing pop hits rather than show tunes and got a smash in return. 

Miranda’s gentler tracks bop along in a manner more akin to children’s TV — albeit without earworms — for fear of being too frightening or funny. 

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

And since “Mufasa” is once again animated in that awful photorealistic style, we watch what appear to be actual, expressionless lions awkwardly sing these little ditties. 

The facial movements are a bit better than they were in 2019, yes, but still weird. The design is a technological feat, which makes it no less wrong for cartoon material. Shouldn’t these “Planet Earth” creatures be off killing gazelles?

Legacies, more like. 

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

When Simba heads off in search of his wife, he leaves Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa (John Kani, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively) to babysit scared Kiara and tell her the tale of her late grandpa. 

The framing device — Timon and Pumbaa sing a parody called “Hakana Mufasa” and crack dumb jokes about the Broadway show — is twee as the rest. Its misguided inclusion is why this movie is a bloated two hours.

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

Obasi hates him — “When we come upon an outsider, what do we do? Eat it!” — but Eshe and her son, Taka, want the tyke to stay.

Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) gets older and becomes skilled at reading nature from the wind — a k a, there’s a herd of whatevers over yonder. 

Eventually, he ventures off 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 are there, too.

A pretty lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) also joins the trek and puts a wedge between Taka and Mufasa, who she gets cozy with. Frankly, I couldn’t feel the love tonight. 

Jenkins does provide a few visual thrills, especially his fishbowl close-ups on Mufasa during chases. But they never feel like they belong in “The Lion King.”

On this overstuffed ride, we also learn where wise Rafiki, royal aide Zazu, evil Scar and even Pride Rock come from. Who cares? The backstories only make us crave the peerless 2D original. 

In 1994, “The Lion King” was a big and bold risk for Disney. The film was a “Hamlet” riff that had no princesses or even humans; it wasn’t composed by hitmakers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The so-called “B-team” was on it. Obviously, the move paid off.

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