Review by John Delia, Sr.
One of the better Disney Channel series Elena of Avalor returns with “Realm of the Jaquins†and if you liked her first outing of the TV series that aired in 2016, this one tops it. Filled with adventure, comedy and animated drama, the three major episodes are a blast. Perfect for both youngsters and pre-teens the DVD also contains a lot of extras.
“Realm of the Jaquins, Part 1 & 2†Skylar tells the story to the young Ciela, Avion and Nico of how the Crown Princess Elena saved the kingdom against the sorceress Shuriki. He tells them that it was their job to save Avalor and that as they are old enough they must take the test and become Guardians. If they fail they must return home to Vallestrella. But Victor and Carla Delgado have other evil plans to take back Avalor with the help of Marimonda. But what’s next for Shuriki?
“Three Jaquins and a Princess†There’s a bake off competition and Armando decides to enter with recipes from Josefina. Unfortunately judge Dona Paloma has other plans for winning and Lady Yolanda is making her best cake for the bake-off. However eleven-year-old Isabel is thinking she can also bake. Migs returns to Avalor from Vallestrella with his new mate Dulce and she’s going to have three Jaquin babies. Unfortunately they are going to hatch out of her their eggs and Elena and Isabel are stuck babysitting.
“Shapeshifters†Shuriki has come out of hiding and is planning to take over Avalor with the help of the Delgados. The Royal Guards are protecting Elena and won’t let her out of their sight. Elena wants to face Shuriki and banish her forever, but the guards are afraid it may be too much for her. Of course she has Mateo working on a potion that will allow her to shapeshift in order to sneak out of the castle.
There are 10 Bonus Shorts:
ADVENTURES IN VALLESTRELLA- “Flight of the Butterfrogâ€, “Sleeping Sunbirdâ€, “Fast Foodâ€, “Peabunny Boogieâ€, “Human Natureâ€
SCEPTER TRAINING WITH ZUZO- “The Heistâ€, “Royal Treasury Escape Roomâ€, “Nothing but Blazeâ€, “Stowawayâ€, “Don’t be our Guestâ€
All the adventure intermixes songs and music that will keep the attention of even the youngest of tykes watching the cuddly Jaquin babies and their funny antics. The time tested animation has worked for years now on the Disney Channel and with this attention grabbing colorful series, even parents will be taken by the art and storytelling.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A fun way to show heroism, good family values and memorable stories. (For children – 4 out of 5 stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Created by: Craig Gerber
TV Rating: TV-Y
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Animated
Running Time:88 minutes plus bonus extras
Video Release Date: August 7, 2018
Language: English (changeable to French or Spanish)
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital
Video: Widescreen, 1080p Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 Disc plus Movie Rewards code
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released in: DVD