Mufasa
Teambooktu features snap reviews by Movie Buff and Tha Maveriq on recently released Blockbuster prequels and sequels.

– Mufasa: The Lion King

I watched Mufasa when it came out a few weeks ago and have had to take some time to ruminate on it because I was conflicted. Now I am sure where I stand and that is that I am none too pleased about it because Disney has damaged the very crux of the Lion King lore.

The bearing of the original Lion King was due to Mufasa’s betrayal by Scar but for Disney to turn around and say that they aren’t even brothers undercuts the very essence of the tragedy.

Disney and their money grabbing have gone and invalidated the tears and sadness we felt when we watched it back in 1994 and I will not stand for it, no I will not! How dare they?

But seriously, who asked about Mufasa’s back story? Literally nobody! Also, why did they think it was a good idea to attempt to justify Scar’s betrayal?

Another part of the film I wasn’t impressed with is the music. It’s a good thing that Lin-Manual composed some original songs for the film but, many of the songs followed the “Baby shark” template by being repetitive and I almost puked at the desperation. If that’s their attempt at making memorable music, they failed miserably.

One thing they did get right is the photorealistic characters which had more life than the 2019 version. Its obvious this film wasn’t made with OGs like me in mind but to bring in new fans, so it didn’t work for me.

I will score Mufasa: The Lion King 4/10

Tha Maveriq

– Gladiator 2

Gladiator rubs dust

As a self-professed fan of The Gladiator (2000), I was apprehensive about this sequel. The original is one of those films you can still remember where you were when you watched it. It was a classic! With powerful, indelible lines by stellar actors like Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Djimon Hounsou, the plot was deep and the emotions almost palpable.

Gladiator 2 had an uphill task from the outset and, personally, it did not deliver. Perhaps that is why it took Ridley Scott over 2 decades to make one. Some classic movies are best left alone- Titanic, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, The Gladiator… Why? Because there is nothing more to tell. Any sequel milked from them would be purely a nostalgic exercise and appear as a weak imitation. Gladiator 2 fought like a gladiator (sigh) to dispel this tag but its plot was largely the same as the original. A man loses his wife and family, is captured as a slave then trained as a gladiator, and is only motivated by revenge to fight in the arena. Later comes the added ideal of saving Rome from a despot(s) and returning the city to the people. Sounds familiar?

With great lead actors like Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal and a supporting cast like Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi (both returning as Lucilla and Senator Gracchus), it was a guaranteed winner, eh? Well… if the lottery were that certain…

Denzel as Marcus

Gladiator 2 comes at a time of ‘gladiator fatigue’. So it was pretty hard to come up with something novel. Between these two Gladiator movies, we have had 2 seasons of Rome and 4 seasons of Spartacus: both powerfully influential to the modern perception of Roman times and, I daresay, both inspired by the original Gladiator movie. Peter Mensah‘s presence in Gladiator 2 as Jugurtha lends credence to this. A brief nod to his distinguished role as Doctore in Spartacus.

The weight of the movie’s success rested squarely on the shoulders of one A-list actor Denzel- and his slimy character ‘Marcus’. He didn’t disappoint. But was it enough? Unfortunately, no. The movie was constantly haunted by the ghost of the original. If we hadn’t been frequently reminded of Russell Crowe’s classic throughout the movie, perhaps we might have been less wistful and it would have stood a better chance.

For me, there is no other story beyond Maximus. As he said in the original, ” All else is dust and air”.

I will score it 5/10

Movie Buff

Lisabi: A Legend is Born

You guys recall I gave the first part (Lisabi: The Uprising) a thumbs up (7.5/10)? Pulsating start. It ended at a cliffhanger but for some reason it also left me worried. What next? The Orishas were on their side. What’s to fear? Besides, that colourful villain, Songodeyi, was killed towards the end of Part 1 and he was one of the movie’s pillars. Who would take his place in Part 2? The interesting characters were all gone. A good story needs a good villain or antagonist to keep the emotions high. My concerns were not unfounded.

Lisabi

Lisabi: A Legend is Born had challenges. A lot of drawn-out scenes that bogged down the tale. Lots of slow-motion sequences, protracted battle and incantation scenes, and chorus singing which occupied a significant portion of the film. These felt more like film fillers than essential material. Matter of fact, the film’s plot only becomes apparent in the second half of this sequel. At a point, I wondered when we’d get some good dialogue as there were lots of monologues, asides, and speeches. Yes, it ran like a stage play with the acting heavily dramatized to give that impression. Though, I doubt this was deliberate because there are naturally good actors in this film. Perhaps, the script?

The over-reliance on special FX was visible this time around and exposed certain shortcomings that were not apparent in The Uprising. For Nollywood, less is more in this area especially when it begins to look iffy. Apply with caution.

I dunno but there was something rushed about this sequel. Was there a Netflix deadline perhaps? It lacked the character and plot development that brought emotional investment in Part 1. I also think they missed a golden opportunity to feature Olumo Rock which has historical significance in the Egba people’s struggles for liberation.

I’ll give it a 4/10

Movie Buff

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