I was in high school when The Lion King was released in Australia. It was the second animated movie that I dragged my group of friends to watch at the movies. It quickly became my favourite. I needed so many tissues! When the musical debuted a good decade later, I headed off to see that too. By the time the kids arrived I had both the DVD and CD in the cupboard waiting for an introduction.
A couple of weeks ago I received an invitation from Disney Australia to the premiere of The Lion Guard – Return of the Roar, a new Disney Junior series that will screen for the first time on their dedicated channel on 6 February at 6.00 pm. I didn’t even ask the kids, we were going!
On the morning of The Lion Guard debut, we sprang out of bed and made our journey to the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park for the screening at Hoyts. We caught our breath as we entered the complex, noting the African themed goodies all around. There was face painting and temporary tattoos, themed cupcakes, balloons, a coffee stand, a photo area and activity tables. We made a beeline for the activity tables where we were first introduced to the Lion Guard characters: Kion, Fuli, Beshte, Ono and Bunga. Soon after we made our way to the cinema for the screening.
The Lion Guard : Return of the Roar continues Simba’s story through his son Kion. Through a single event it becomes evident that Kion is the next leader of the Lion Guard, an almost mythical group that are charged with protecting the Pride Lands and the circle of life. Simba directs Kion to draw together the bravest, fastest, strongest, and keenest of sight in the Pride Lands to become members of the Lion Guard. From here the story really begins, drawing you into the wild and suspenseful narrative.
Just like the Lion King, the Lion Guard introduces the viewer to colourful characters, mesmerising music and a few life lessons that children are sure to enjoy. We all took something away from it with both the adults and the kids (aged 7-10) enjoying the pilot and keen to watch more. Miss N has asked if we can schedule each episode on our IQ so we don’t miss them! Yes, she loved it THAT much!
The Lion Guard : Return of the Roar will debut on the Disney Junior Channel here in Australia of 6 February at 6.00 pm. The series will then screen from 28 February. In the meantime, you can join the Lion Guard by capturing their roar at DisneyJunior.com.au/Roar which will also give them the chance of appearing on Disney Junior!