African Cats

We often think of African wildlife documentaries as being dry, reiterated, or just clips of either cute baby animals or slow motion shots of the predator striking at it's prey. All under the dry narration of Sir David Attenborough or someone trying to sound like him. This is different.

The theme of "African Cats" is one of a mother's love, the setting is on a stretch of Kenya divided by a great river where on one side we are shown a lioness and her cubs as members of the ruling pride, on the other a mother cheetah and her cubs as she attempts to raise her young as a single mother. Each situation has it's benefits and it's disadvantages.

All of this wonderful story telling occurs amidst the beautiful scenery of Africa and all under the perfect narration of Samuel L. Jackson whose voice matches the inflection and emotion of every scene reminiscent of the work of the late John Facenda of NFL Films.

The movie does not try to out-do its predecessors and be more than it is, it stays to it's story and it's themes and makes for a wonderful film for anyone. From the kid who loves animals, to the casual film goer who enjoys a good story. 6 out of 10, check it out.

I just returned from seeing this movie today. The struggle for survival of two lion prides a cheetah family are beautifully brought to the big screen with masterful narration by Samuel L. Jackson. The cinematography and soundtrack are spectacular.

Mara, a young lioness must struggle to survive after the death of her mother and be accepted into the pride. Sita, a mother cheetah, struggles to raise five cubs in a land populated by deadly hyenas. Kali, a powerful lion, and his three grown sons seek to take over Mara's pride.

The movie is realistic, but not so bloody that anyone but the most sensitive among us should be offended.

I will definitely be adding this one to my DVD collection.

Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey bring a charming little documentary set in the Kenyan Savannah. The film has been edited tightly to tell a coherent story and add a more dramatic feel. What sets it apart from watching a documentary on Animal Planet or Discovery Channel is that the viewer does not get the feel that he/she is watching a documentary. It feels like watching a feature film where the lionesses and the cheetahs are the protagonists. It is beautifully shot with stunning cinematography and a brilliant soundtrack with the exception of the Jordinn Sparks track that takes place during the closing credits. But watch the closing credits as it's hilarious seeing how the animals have been credited. Samuel L. Jackson's husky voice excellently narrates the story. It centers around Sita the cheetah and her cubs and Laila the lioness and her daughter Mara. And the presentation of the 'characters' are very well done as the viewer can easily relate to them and root for them. The elements of adventure, suspense and even comedy are brilliantly balanced in this wildlife tale. Given that the title is 'African Cats', I missed seeing the leopard. But anyway, 'African Cats' is overall refreshing, entertaining and heartwarming and a nice reminder of why some of us love animals.

I'm not a Disneyphobe (nor am I a Disneyphile) but this needed its very fine cinematography to lift its rating and keep me watching. Undoubtedly, the script and narration will go down well with followers of the genre, as will the genteel treatment of the cruel realities of life and death in the wild, such as an absence of gore. This is not a criticism, just an observation. It is Disney, after all, and that's all. As a many-times observer in the flesh of real-life African wildlife action, I was glued to this only by its visuals. Apart from the unreal lack of blood, they were among the best I've seen in documentaries depicting the lives of big cats, and it was a relief not to have a narrator putting his face in front of the camera at every opportunity. Oh, and I have no problem with anthropomorphic descriptions of wild animals. I've seen big cats in the wild showing the same basic emotions as humans...affection between relatives and allies, anger and fear towards enemies, and so on: a lioness staring with what can only be described as great anger; fear in a lion's face before it turned and fled from humans on foot it had detected in the distance; pain in the eyes of an injured lion, beaten in a fight.

2/28/18. With great cinematography this animal documentary follows the lives of two big cat families. An aging lion, Fang, eventually must face up to Kali and his 4 sons (ok, it's no contest), and Sita, a female cheetah with 5 cubs must bravely survive the dangers of the jungle. Great movie, and worth catching with kids of all ages!