Review by John Delia, Sr
The Lion Guard series on Disney Junior has released its newest episodes “The Rise of Scar” on DVD. Now available the adventure begins with a lot of excitement in the Pride Lands and features all the favorites of past The Lion Guard TV shows. If you feel the TV-Y rating may be a little harsh on the very young, please check it out first.
In the first episode of the Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar we find Ma Tembo and the elephants are under attack by hyenas in the Pride Lands. It’s the fifth rescue of the day for Lion Guard and it’s only morning. The hapless Hyenas have run out of food and they are hungry. It’s that time each year in the dry season and the heard of elephants are searching for water.
Ushari the cobra gets trampled by the hyenas while they are running away from Kion, Bunga, Ona, Fuli and Beshte that were trying to save the elephants. Ushari’s not a fan of the Lion Guard and vows to get even for the insult, if it means consulting with the ghost of Scar.
The other episodes include “The Trouble with Galagosâ€, “Janja’s New Crewâ€, “Baboons!†and “Lions of the Outlands†feature the Lion Guard crew protecting the Pride Lands from danger. The beauty of this kid friendly series is that good always prevails. The episodes feature a host of singing and having fun with all the adventure that’s included.
The voice cast includes David Oyelowo as the lion Scar; Rob Lowe as Scar’s grandson Simba; Gabrielle Union as Simba’s wife Nala; Max Charles as Simba’s son Kion; Joshua Rush as the mercat Bunga; Atticus Shaffer as the leopard Ono; Diamond White as the bird Fuli, Dusan Brown as the hippopotamus Beshte, Landry Bender as mandrill Makini; and Christian Slater as the cobra Ushari.
Suitable for older tots to pre-teens, this is the third in the Lion Guard series. The adventures should have the children engrossed in excitement, adventure and song. The episodes have songs and music to keep even the youngest ones happy enjoying their entertainment time. Turn on the subtitles when the songs come on so your elementary school child can sing-a-long.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A cool kid’s series with a lot of good deeds. (For Kids 4 out of 5 stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Voice Cast: David Oyelowo, Rob Lowe, Gabrielle Union, Max Charles, Joshua Rush, Atticus Shaffer, Diamond White, Dusan Brown, Landry Bender, and Christian Slater
TV Rating: TV-T
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Kids
Running Time: 141minutes
Video Release Date: January 9, 2018
Language: English (changeable to Spanish or French)
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: Widescreen, 1080p, Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 disc
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment