Firstly, I have to say that I am a big fan of The Lion King. I love the film. I view it as one of Disney's all-time greatest animated films. The plot wasn't anything strikingly new - it is essentially Hamlet in Africa, mixed in with elements of Bambi - but it was done in a way that made it entertaining. Even as an adult, I still pop in the film every now and again.
The film has seen several spin-offs and sequels with varying quality over the years. One such sequel ties into The Lion Guard directly, and that's Simba's Pride, the second Lion King film released in 1998, which introduced Simba's daughter, Kiara, the future Queen of the Pride Lands. It was serviceable enough though not in as good quality as the first film.
We also had The Lion King 1 1/2 (or The Lion King III: Hakuna Matata outside of the US) which was basically a Timon and Pumbaa movie version of the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Ultimately, I view that film as corny, but ultimately harmless and much better than the TV series that preceeded it.
And that is pretty much how I would sum up The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar. This film, and by extension the following TV series, came about when Disney CEO Bob Iger approached Disney Junior to do something for the 20th anniversary of the first film (though Return of the Roar would come 21 1/2 years after the first film, missing that milestone by a considerable margin). It follows Kion, the second born son of Simba (played by Max Charles), and the events of the film take place after Kiara's jaunt through the Outlands at the start of the second film.
Therein lies the first problem. Kion is obviously not mentioned anywhere in the second film because he did not exist yet. Given the series is likely to stick to that earlier timeframe no explanation is likely to ever be given for the inconsistency, but it makes the older fan wonder: just where was he during the Battle Of The Prides at the end of the second film? That Roar of the Elders would have proved very useful against Zira and the Outlanders. At the moment, they probably don't need to explain it, but before long a child with a decent memory wil be asking "where's Kion?" at the end of the second film.
Return Of The Roar sees the return of many of the cast of the previous films, including Simba (Rob Lowe, replacing Matthew Broderick who has allegedly had a rocky relationship with Disney over The Lion King these past few years), Nala (Gabrielle Union, replacing Moira Kelly) and Rafiki (Khary Payton, replacing Robert Guillame). The story of this film revolves around Kion assembling his Lion Guard after discovering he has the power of the Roar of the Elders, a mystical power in which the spirits of the Kings of the Past roar with him. Along the way, he fights the hyenas (Janja, Cheezi and Chungu rather than Shenzi, Banzai and Ed) as they attempt to cause chaos in the Pride Lands.
The second problem I have with the film is the way they portray the older cast. Simba's pretty much in protective father mode as he is in the second film, so I can't really fault that. Nala is seen even less than she is in the second film (though at least they got her colours right this time), and Kiara has changed from a mischievous little child to something of a brat with a sightly antagonistic air towards her younger brother (she even tells tales on him at one point when Kion starts to assemble his Lion Guard from his friends rather than the lions in the pride). Timon and Pumbaa are pretty much unchanged. Zazu seems more pointless an inclusion than in the previous films, and Rafiki seems just a little too exciteable.
And the third one, which is the biggest issue I take with the film: they have to ram it down your throats as to what the purpose of the Lion Guard is ("to defend the Pride Lands and protect the Circle of Life", if you don't remember after being told for the umpteenth time). We get it. Once should be enough. Twice if you're not sure. The target audience are children, but they're not devoid of attention spans.
The music... it definitely does not fit the style of the previous films at all. For a children's show, it's passable. "Tonight We Strike" is no "Be Prepared", that is for sure, and "Call Of The Guard" can't match up to the majesty of "Circle of Life".
At the end of the day though, as I said, it's harmless enough even if it is corny and presents a few continuity issues with its originators. It certainly does not seem to treat the audience like they are idiots like some older Disney children's shows tend to, and with this, I can see the potential. I think as time goes on, this show will get better.
Final verdict: 7/10.
