Mufasa versus Sonic 3, two movies that came out around the same time, both very hyped up by the masses; yet how come one crushed the other in box office sales?
First off the plots, in short Mufasa starts with Taka (Scar) saving Mufasa from drowning in a river, taking him back to his pack where he isn’t trusted, but Mufasa is allowed to stay by the females, they grow up together as brothers, until a girl Sarabi arrives, Mufasa tries to help Taka being his wingman but inadvertently ends up making her fall for him instead, and Taka hates Mufasa for this, eventually betraying his pack for another called the outsiders, where they attack and before Mufasa is struck down by the big bad, Taka jumps in front getting his signature scar, and after finding Rafiki and this paradise he declares Mufasa and Sarabi king and queen of said paradise, Mufasa welcomes Taka but he tells him to call him Scar as repent for his actions, ending the movie.
Well, the plot was sort of all over the place, the motives for Taka’s descent into evil was very childish and lazily written, essentially he had betrayed his whole family for a girl he had known for two days, and the movie supposedly ends with them both on good terms and Taka aiming to pay for what he did, large plot hole as it doesn’t explain why he’s all grumpy and evil in the second movie, there’s no lesson learned and the ending felt unsatisfying.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 begins with Shadow breaking out of captivity and wreaking havoc in Tokyo. Sonic and friends are celebrating Earth Day when they’re captured by G.U.N. and brought to the scene of Shadow’s attack. They receive a keycard from Commander Walters and are ambushed by Eggman’s drones.
Rescued by Agent Stone, they learn Eggman is alive but in a sorry state. The story reveals Shadow’s tragic past with Maria and uncovers Gerald Robotnik, Eggman’s father, as the true mastermind. The Robotniks capture team Sonic and steal the keycard. Tom and Maddie help them break into G.U.N. HQ, where they discover the keycards activate a world-destroying weapon. Tom is injured by Walters (who imprisoned Shadow). Enraged, Sonic seeks the Master Emerald and goes Super, leading to a fierce battle with Super Shadow. Eggman intervenes, stopping his father’s plan. Sonic and Shadow, after a heartfelt exchange, team up to deflect the death laser, Sonic depowers and falls to earth being saved by Knuckles and Tails. Eggman and Shadow seemingly to save Earth. The movie concludes with a reflection on their journey during another Earth Day celebration.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Sonic 3. The plot was meaningful, and a talk with Tom earlier in the movie contrasts Shadow, as Sonic had Tom to help him and not seek revenge for Longclaw, while Shadow had no one to teach him revenge was never a good path. Also the movie was fun and comedic while still balancing serious tones and emotion. However, a conflicting opinion is from Riyanka Shah (11): “I thought both movies were really good, but in my opinion, Mufasa was better because I enjoyed the storyline better.” Further, another student’s opinion is by Megan Wang (11), “I thought the movie was fantastic, and so thoughtfully put together.”By the end, we learned a real lesson, and it set up for the next movie in the form of end credits, which I will not be spoiling.
In conclusion, Sonic 3 focused on good story and funny moments appealing to fans of the games and newcomers, meanwhile Mufasa was a rushed cash grab with lazy writing and terrible jokes.
