Timon & Pumbaa's Role In Mufasa: The Lion King Is Problematic

The following contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King, now playing in theatersMufasa: The Lion King has a surprising amount of Timon and Pumbaa in it, and it proves to be one of the film's most problematic elements. The prequel/sequel to 2019's The Lion King remake benefits from advances in technology and the opportunity to tell an original story. Although the ending is a foregone conclusion given the nature of a prequel, the cast of Mufasa: The Lion King ensures it remains a compelling narrative. The problems arise when the movie relies too much on its predecessor. The most glaring example of this is the surprising frequency of Timon and Pumbaa.

Effectively serving as cutaway gags filtered throughout Rafiki's vivid retelling of how Mufasa rose to power decades ago, Timon and Pumbaa's frequent commentary messes with the thematic strength of the film and plays a role in undercutting the ending of Mufasa: The Lion King. It's a frustrating reality about The Lion King sequel that detracts from the strong elements of the narrative, proving to be the biggest problem with a movie that is best when it remains focused on the story instead of getting distracted by jokes with the larger franchise or the characters from previous stories in the series.

Timon & Pumbaa Were Unnecessary For Mufasa: The Lion King

Timon And Pumbaa Don't Add Much To Mufasa: The Lion King

Timon and Pumbaa are two of the biggest problems with Mufasa: The Lion King, and don't really contribute much to the film. Mufasa: The Lion King is largely focused on the story of a young Mufasa and his evolution into a ruler. When the plot is centered on this story, it's great. However, the framing device (and frequent interludes during the actual plot) focus on Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara hearing the story of Mufasa from Rafiki. Unfortunately, they're also joined by Timon and Pumbaa, who offer running commentary on Rafiki's story and serve as unyielding sources of comic relief.

Related Is Mufasa: The Lion King Suitable For Children? A Parent's Guide To Disney's Prequel Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to 2019's The Lion King, which was a huge hit for children and families, and Mufasa seems to be following suit.

While the pair are initially fun to see back in action, their asides frequently derail the narrative. They interject into the middle of the story at various points, which has the unintended effect of throwing off the pacing of the story. Given that the movie already faces inherent challenges of being a prequel where audiences are firmly aware of certain character fates, this blow to the natural flow of the action undercuts the movie's dramatic stakes. It contributes to the feeling that the story doesn't really matter, which is frustrating given the craft that went into the movie's impressive elements.

Timon & Pumbaa's Comedy Doesn't Work With Mufasa's Story

4th-Wall Breaking Jokes Undercut The Dramatic Elements Of Mufasa: The Lion King

Image via Disney

The jokes become especially frustrating when they break the fourth wall, further shattering the movie's more dramatic aspects. Despite Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner delivering entertaining performances and delivering some funny gags, the tonal whiplash has a negative effect on the film as a whole. What really makes their presence frustrating is the way it fails to flow with the rest of the film. While Mufasa's main plot does have some moments of levity, they're all character-driven beats that build off the actual plot. Those scenes rely on the chemistry of the cast and the rapport of the central characters.

The best moments of humor fit the story. By contrast, Timon and Pumbaa are too overtly silly, throwing out goofy gags that don't necessarily work within the tone of the more dramatic plot that Mufasa: the Lion King is telling.

The best moments of humor fit the story. By contrast, Timon and Pumbaa are too overtly silly, throwing out goofy gags that don't necessarily work within the tone of the more dramatic plot that Mufasa: the Lion King is telling. The gags about characters and the stage production are funny, but undercut the dramatic weight of the main story in a way that makes it difficult to emotionally connect with the actual narrative. It's hard to take the genuinely dramatic evolution of Taka into Scar seriously when Timon and Pumbaa had just earlier reduced the character to a voiceless punchline.

Mufasa Would Have Worked Better Without Timon & Pumbaa

Mufasa: The Lion King Keeps Ruining The Pacing By Cutting Away From The Main Story

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What's disappointing about Timon and Pumbaa's role in Mufasa: The Lion King is how they could work in smaller doses. Timon and Pumbaa fit well into the film's opening, serving as Kiara's babysitters and then as an audience to Rafiki. Those are natural spaces for them in the film. However, cutting back to them again and again to deliver gags deflates the action and drama. This also extends to Kiara and Rafiki, whose flashforward scenes frequently throws off the pacing of the story. It's a cute concept that Kiara is hearing the story, but the film reiterates that too much.

Kirara is played by Blue Ivy Carter, the daughter of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Jay-Z. Beyoncé plays Nala in The Lion King and Mufasa: The Lion King.

Especially in light of the film's exploration of Mufasa and Raifiki's bond, it works great as a framing device. However, Mufasa overplays it to the point of ruining the concept. This constant back and forth diminishes the power of the film's ending. The framing device sets up how scared Kiara is of the storms outside and the world at large. By the end of Mufasa's story, Kiara has taken inspiration and bravery from the story. It's a powerful moment that is undercut by Kiara frequently interjecting alongside Timon and Pumbaa, ruining the build and impacting the effect of the ending.

Why Mufasa Really Included Timon & Pumbaa

Disney Needed To Fit Two Popular Characters Into One Of Their Biggest Movies Of The Year

Mufasa: The Lion King includes many of the original film's characters, at times feeling like a highlights reel of the series as a whole. For the most part, these inclusions do fit naturally into the story. Characters like Zazu slot into the narrative organically, expanding their history without distracting from the story. However, Timon and Pumbaa aren't a part of Mufasa's story at all. They don't fit easily into the narrative, making their numerous appearances come off as blunt and at times frustrating. They just don't feel like natural elements of the story but necessary additions because of their popularity.

Timon and Pumbaa are iconic characters within the larger Disney canon, and Eichner and Rogen do well in those parts. The pair are even stand outs in the 2019 film, so it makes sense why they would be made into a part of the movie. However, including them in so much of the Mufasa-centric prequel feels like Disney hedging it's bets with two popular characters. This ultimately detracts from the film in an unnecessary way. Mufasa: The Lion King works best when it stands alone as it's own piece, and suffers most when it falls back onto those familiar elements.