Some of the reviews I encountered on "In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro" complain that baboons aren't convincing and not nearly menacing enough to pass for murderous animals. Well, this is a false impression in general. During a recent trip to South Africa I made a couple of excursions and the first thing the tour guides always warn you for are wild baboons. They are extremely aggressive animals and if they spot people with food in their hands, they will relentlessly attack and steal it from them. I'm not familiar with the supposedly true event this movie is based on, but I find it to be quite plausible and – even in case it never happened – it's a terrific plot outline for a mature and intellectual eco-horror movie anyway. The year is 1984 and Kenya, as well as the majority of the African continent, slowly cringes under a severe drought. It hasn't rained in months, the wildlife deteriorates, the animals are dying and a local community of mine workers do whatever they can to survive. They suddenly face an even more overpowering ordeal when all the baboons in the area, approximately 90.000, herd together and launch spontaneous attacks against the humans in their quest for food. "In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro" is a fairly odd and unusual 80's horror movie, since it doesn't aim for mindless shocks or bloody set-pieces, but merely thrives on atmosphere and educational values. The first half hour is really slow and moody, but this is mostly done to illustrate the atmosphere of drought and despair they characters find themselves trapped in. Once the baboons go on their virulent murder sprees, the film becomes more adventurous and horrific (with images of ripped off limbs and half-eaten faces) but still the violence never becomes gratuitous or overly exploitative. The make-up effects are effective and big kudos to the animal trainers, because a lot of footage was filmed using real animals. The mechanical baboons, used during the more complicated attack scenes, are definitely convincing as well. This mainly African-produced film features two international stars delivering more than adequate performances, namely Timothy Bottoms as a park supervisor (and kind of looking like a big ape himself, what with the ferocious beard) and John Rhys-Davies as the demanding mine owner. "In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro" is a good and original film, naturally benefiting the most of the wonderful scenery and exterior filming locations, but also boosting a unique storyline and multiple moments of great suspense.
