This prequel to Jon Favreau's 2019 'live action' version of The Lion King hits the ground running, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink in the first ten minutes - characters, mythology, comedy, music and song, drama and gorgeous high-quality visuals - as the film follows Mustafa from birth, separation from his parents, finding a new 'family' including a 'brother' to his journey home. The new characters settle in quickly, there are new threats and a couple of effective spectacular action sequences, and the relationship between the two 'brothers' is played very nicely. The visuals are insanely richly-detailed and vibrant-looking from start to finish, largely without the distancing flat sheen that many CG-heavy films suffer. The new songs are brief and delightful, fitting in with the recent style of Disney song soundtracks. The self-aware framing device of this story being told by energetic Timon and Pumbaa lightens the mood but is mildly irritating. Barry Jenkins successfully delivers on the emotional beats, with the concept of family once again the huge running thread throughout the story, good on the father/son and brotherhood bonds and the positive influence of female family members, but perhaps holding back a little on exploring the issue of masculine power that is raised. As a prequel the film works well and looks terrific, if perhaps a little inessential but a good companion piece.
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