"The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar" is a 44-minute animated short film from last year that was well-received enough, so it got turned into a new series actually. Good job for the makers I guess. Still, my reception is only slightly positive. I think it is accurate to call this a poor man's version of "The Lion King". This does not mean it's bad though. It just means the original Oscar-winning film was great and this one here is pretty mediocre for the most part with a couple good scenes. The most interesting aspect about it is probably the inclusion of the old characters. Sure, Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa do not get a lot of screen-time, but it was certainly intended to get older audiences to give this one a chance. However, 80% of it is really exclusively about the adventures of the next generation. A negative deal-breaker for me was that I am not particularly interested in Kion, Simba's son and the male protagonist. I found the little skunk Bunga much more entertaining, even if he is mostly included for comic relief. The story was so-so. Could have been better, could have been worse, but certainly takes itself too seriously for the most part. After watching these 44 minutes here, I cannot say it got me interested in checking out the series anytime soon. Still, it wasn't a boring or cringeworthy watch by any means. Just not good enough. I guess the topic "Lion King" is through pretty much and we got all the good we could hope for in the film and a handful forgettable sequels. Like this one here that includes a couple semi-famous television actors such as Sarah Hyland. Still a cautiously positive thumbs up from me overall for this newest addition to the franchise (unless you count the series).
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
(2015 TV Movie)
New friends and old acquaintances
6 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers