In the Pride Lands of Tanzania, after the events of The Lion King (2019), Simba (voiced by Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) leave their young daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) with Timon the meerkat (Billy Eichner), Pumbaa the warthog (Seth Rogan) and Rafiki, the shaman mandrill (John Kani) as they head off for the day together. To keep Kiara calm during a storm, the trio tells her the story of how her grandfather, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), first met Scar, then known as Taka, (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and went on to become the Lion King!

The Lion King (1994) is a beloved two-dimensional animation, riffing off the classic Japanese Manga magazine serial Kimba the White Lion, which was published from 1950-1954 and released as a television series in the mid-1960s, based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet with touching, memorable songs from Sir Elton John.

The 2019 remake failed to recapture the magic due to its photorealistic CGI animation dulling the highly emotive expressions of its cast of singing characters. This sequel takes a note from The Godfather: Part II (1974) by playing both as a sequel and a prequel to the original, explaining the origins of our leads and a few side characters as well.

Disappointingly, but quite contemporarily, the story deviates from the importance of a royal bloodline, stressing the point of self-made heroes and chosen families. Mufasa finds himself as an interloper, becoming quick friends with a young king-in-waiting who eventually becomes the outed Scar.

Verdict: An amazing-looking but frenetic and redundant semi-remake that makes the same errors as its predecessor. 2.5 stars.

Luke McWilliams, themovieclub.net. Viewed at Dendy Cinemas IMAX screen.