ith Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter) away on important business, their lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) is left at Pride Rock under the not-so-watchful eyes of Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). As a storm approaches, esteemed mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) recounts to the frightened child the powerful tale of a stray lion who becomes a king. In that account, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and his loving parents plan to make the long journey to the fabled “Milele,” a place of abundance beyond the horizon, but an unexpected deluge sweeps the young lion far away to the Valley of the Kings. There, he is saved by nurturing lioness Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), her son Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), and grouchy lion king Obasi (Lennie James).

Despite his father’s warnings, Taka and Mufasa quickly become brothers, with the former attending to his kingly duties – most of which involve napping – while the latter learns the nuances of hunting and tracking under the tutelage of Eshe. When a gang of outsider lions descends upon the peaceful plains with their vengeful leader Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), intent on controlling every land the sun touches, Taka and Mufasa must flee. As they trek south to Milele, they encounter a noble lion princess (Tiffany Boone), her flittering lookout (Preston Nyman), and a wise old guide who will aid in their adventure to reshape the fate of all animals across the lands.

Once again, this film (which is a sequel that also functions as a prequel, thanks to a flashback design) opens with spectacular hyper-realism as a Noah’s ark-full of critters gather around Pride Rock. But then they start talking, a startling capability that does its best to kill the beauty of the visual effects. There’s just something tremendously mismatched about photorealistic creatures that roar and snort and growl and honk, but then also speak English.

Nevertheless, so much work has gone into the visuals; the animation, the environments, the textures, the colors, the lighting, and the musculature are each phenomenal. The water effects and the fur/hair designs are flawless. And the little unconscious movements, like a flicker of an ear, or the way skin interacts with the underlying muscles and bones (and the way water or snow flatten or stick to coats), are striking. But does all of this effort help to craft a worthwhile story? In the early stages, it’s a tale of family, of the fear of outsiders, of gender and species segregation, of proving one’s worth, of friendship, of sacrifice, and of an incredible journey home – all concepts and plot points quite commonplace in Disney pictures (especially those featuring personified animals). Despite its visuals, the premise is far from unique (following along with major components from its predecessor). “Deceit is a great tool of a king.”

It’s also a musical, full of energetic, enthusiastic numbers, fueled by percussion and the various instruments and voices of Africa. Inexplicably, the songs are by Lin-Manuel Miranda, though they sound nothing like his signature rhyme-heavy, rapid-fire, rap-like regulars (he probably should have done “Moana 2” instead, where his style would have been right at home). In fact, a couple songs, such as “I Always Wanted a Brother” and “Bye Bye,” are downright pitiful; the lyrics are laughable in the way they’re put together, utilizing embarrassing choruses with juvenile phrases (“Bye Bye” is especially obnoxious, since it takes place directly after Kiros has violently offed his own henchman and threatens to usurp a throne). A later love song is much better, but on the whole, none of the music here is memorable in the slightest.

Weirdly, as multiple lion prides track one another across considerable terrain, always complaining about hunger and the lack of food, they’re never actually shown to eat, which is even more problematic when they join forces with their own prey – perhaps an unintentional side effect of having the utmost realism in appearances but sticking to cartoonish actions in the plot. But with genuine friendships (that lead to harsher betrayals), a minor love story (“Listen when she speaks. Males have trouble with that one.”), routine humor (goofy sidekicks provide continual comic relief), and Rafiki’s enduring wisdom, the story begins to pick up, transforming into a rather engaging set of circumstances that shape Mufasa’s destiny. In the end, its the lion king’s character design that proves to be most rewarding, as he almost effortlessly exhibits noble traits; he’s considerate, heroic, humble, skilled, smart, courageous, and a natural leader – always making the right decisions even when he seems uncertain, guided by an unfaltering moral compass that adults can appreciate just as much as children.

– The Massie Twins