Mufasa: The Lion King (what to expect)
Scorecard, fav movies, animated aliens, the crew on the pod
We’ve already covered this, but fair warning, this is your last chance to come up with a good excuse for bailing on family dinner so you can go see A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu, and Baby Girl Christmas Day.
Here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Mufasa: The Lion King
Temp These Takes: Favorite movie of 2024
Watchlist Worthy: The tiniest leader of Earth
Pod Drop: JP, Kelly, and Eric are back, and they’re yappin’
This week’s movie - “Mufasa: The Lion King”
Letterboxd Description:
The story of an orphan who would be king.
Told in flashbacks, Mufasa is an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion a journey of misfits searching for their destiny and working together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Best Watched With
The little cubs in your life who are just learning how growl.
End credit thoughts
Mufasa is a well-intended origin story of one of our favorite fallen kings that gets close to hitting the mark, but ultimately comes up short. We can't say if the musical numbers will reach the iconic status of the original, but they were quintessential Lin-Manuel Miranda pieces.
When the entire movie is CGI, it better look good. The VFX department rose to the occasion and delivered a beautiful film. The villainous white lions are menacing, and the richness of Africa’s landscapes are immersive. A subtle, but impactful, element of the sound design was the breathing and growling of the lions that sounds authentic and organic.
Barry Jenkins takes the time needed to let us get to know the main characters and care about each of them–a group of strays that don’t belong, which is exactly what brings them together. Rafiki (John Kani) is a standout with his zany, monk-like charm and Aaron Pierre’s Mufasa is a formidable hero.
The origin story of Mufasa and Scar, and how they became to be the characters we know so well from the original film is fascinating. There are plenty of great action sequences that are coupled with singalongs that will probably be enjoyed more by the younger audience. We can see families having a good time watching this together, but unless you're with the kids in your life, you can wait to watch this one at home.
Watch the trailer here
Favorite movie of the year
Eric
This is a tough one. So many incredible watches. So many incredible theater experiences. But I have to say - my favorite was Dune: Part Two. The theater was SO ALIVE during this movie and after. The vibe of the year shifted after this, and I can’t explain it.
Also, I gained Kelly’s trust in movies again. I have some terrible taste in movies, folks. I worked very hard to gain her trust in my taste back and this theater experience did just that.
Movies are back, baby. Spend the $12, $20, $28 or whatever it is to see something in theaters.
Honorable mentions: Longlegs, Furiosa, Romulus, The Substance.
Josh
Dune: Part 2 was one of my best movie theater experiences this year. The IMAX theater was completely packed, we took up one third of a row, and the movie was everything I wanted it to be. The performances were captivating. The visuals were mesmerising. The score reverberated into my bones. It’s a movie I watched three times in theaters.
But my favorite watch was not Dune: Part 2. Anora takes the cake here. I love a small plot movie that hits the heart in big ways. I did not expect this movie to be so damn funny, and for a movie with such comedic timing to absolutely crush my soul. The performances, the writing, the images, the music, the editing; I have thought about this movie every day since I watched it.
New Mexico Drew
I'm going with the movie that was the most fun and enjoyable this year - that's Monkey Man. As the great Eric would say, what a bruiser. I love violent action movies and it didn't get any more violent than MM this year. Dev Patel is one of the best working actors and the fact that this was his directorial debut is insane. I've thought more about Long Legs than I have any other movie this year and Sing Sing wrecked me more than any other movie this year. So there's that.
What’s your take? Hit Reply or leave a comment below and let us know!
Elio (2025) Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, & Adrian Molina
Pixar can make 100 movies about searching for purpose and meaning when one feels like they don’t belong anywhere, and I will watch all 100 of those movies. It’s an archetypical story I never get tired of. Elio is one of those stories and it looks vibrant, stunning, and moving; I fear this one will draw tears. And how could I not be excited when the latest trailer includes Such Great Heights by The Postal Service.
Added to my watchlist.
-JP :)
Letterboxd Description:
They asked for our leader. They got… him.
Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
Also Directed by Domee Shi:
Turning Red (2022)
Bao (2018)
Also Directed by Madeline Sarafian:
Burrow (2020)
We Bare Bears: Goodnight Ice Bear (2016)
Also Directed by Adrian Molina:
This is his directorial debut.
Rewatch, Rant, Repeat: Yappin Movies #047
🎧 Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube
In this episode, Kelly, Eric, and Josh discuss a variety of topics including chaotic group chats, movie recommendations, and personal anecdotes.
Kelly shares an intimate moment with Eric involving a Batman impression, while Josh and Kelly debate over watching 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'American Psycho'. The group also talks about their mixed feelings on the new series 'Dune Prophecy' and their thoughts on holiday-themed movies.
Additionally, they rave about the trailer for '28 Years Later' (Give Oscars for trailers you cowards!) and the brilliance of Austin Butler in 'American Psycho'. The episode ends with excitement for future movie swaps and shout-outs to dedicated subscribers.
Tune in next week for | Nosferatu
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