Two family films have opened against each other, and if you’d told me which one would be better prior to screenings, I may have been slightly surprised. In one corner, you have the power of Disney and their CGI creations wandering the plains of Africa, and in the other, a second sequel to a film that was way better than it had any right to be. Yes, the choices are between Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and while they couldn’t be any different in content, they’re even further apart in quality.
While there’s nothing inherently awful about Barry Jenkins’s Mufasa, it’s nowhere near as bland as Jon Favreau’s The Lion King remake. Unless you’re talking about the songs. Which is very disheartening when they’re coming from Lin-Manuel Miranda. This soundtrack could very well be the worst of his career. If you hear a phone ringing during the movie, it’s probably Lin-Manuel on the line, because he is phoning it in on autopilot. They are every bit as unmemorable as the songs from Moana 2, which he didn’t even write. I was hopeful for this, seeing how he took over songwriting duties, however, he probably should have stayed in his own wheelhouse because this just shows that he is not Elton John.
As for the film proper, it’s honestly not too shabby. Had they gone ahead and decided to make this a straight ahead prequel and cut all the songs, it would be much better. And way shorter. There’s no reason for this to be two hours long, aside from the fact that they are clearly hoping to bank off sales of the soundtrack. Things could have been spruced up even more had Jenkins had his hand in the screenplay. He’s a fantastic screenwriter, and a usually amazing director, unfortunately, he’s given very little here. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s merely directing voice talent instead of physical actors.
Admittedly, if there’s one thing he gets completely right, it’s the same thing Favreau did: Timon and Pumbaa (voiced again by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen). Just give us the Timon and Pumbaa movie you know we all want instead of consistently sidelining them to comic relief. We like it, we love it, we want some more of it. It’s the one thing that’s worked best between both live-action movies and it’s about time Disney accepted their fate and just gave us the goods. The rest is mere padding and milking the cash cow. You won’t hate yourself for watching it, and my seven year old liked it more than I did, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
On the flip side, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the most fun the family can have in a theater this holiday season. Full of hilarious antics, loveable and new characters, and more Jim Carrey than you can shake a stick at. Director Jeff Fowler has such a firm grasp on what he wants these films to be this round that there’s not a misstep in sight. With Keanu Reeves joining the shenanigans voicing the new addition, Shadow, it gives the film a weight that was missing from the previous installments.
The runtime also never feels padded like it did in the second one. It starts off with a bang and never lets up until the credits roll. Shadow also gets to steal the heart of the film with his backstory that could cause a few weepy eyes along the way. Trauma, grief, and revenge are Shadow’s driving force, and it adds a slight adultness to the proceedings that’s much appreciated. The action is bigger than ever, the effects are better than ever, and well, call it hyperbole, but my daughter declares this “the best Sonic ever,” and I wholeheartedly agree. Run to see this one.
