The Lion of Africa

This TV movie is a whole lot better than usual for TV-movies,in short it's a modern interpretation of African Queen,good solid acting and actually funny.Instead of moving up a river as in African Queen,they use a truck,of an absolutely elderly model,but with its' own personality.

After reading a comment from another user, I felt that more needed to be said about The Lion of Africa. This HBO movie is a good action/adventure romance, not just an action movie. Furthermore, the movie actually has a strong lead for a mature woman -- played by Brooke Adams. She is both amusing and tough, bantering well with Brian Dennehy in an unusual role for him (you don't usually see Dennehy as the object of romance).

The theaters are full of action-packed movies with more special effects and male heroes than you could ever want (with a few anorexic, 27 year old females baring skinny flesh and hanging on their arms). If you want a character-driven plot mixing adventure and romance, try this movie. Yes, there could have been more animals and Africans in the film but at least we have some fairly realistic and charming heroes with personality.

I love this movie! The characters evolve realistically over the course of the movie. You can see and feel their relationship develop and it makes sense. Brooke Adams is fantastic as a strong, yet vulnerable leading lady. She has a very distinctive voice, somewhat like Brenda Vacarro or Kathleen Turner. My favorite thing about this movie, though, is seeing Brian Dennehy as a romantic leading man. This is not how we usually see him, and it is terrific fun! He is gruff, obstinate, yet tender and clever. It was wonderful to watch a movie where the leads are sexy, but not "cookie cutter" Barbie and Ken types, but realistic characters. The movie is an action AND romance movie...and not to spoil anything, but I love the ending!

Except for a few cliche scenes of Africans mainly at the end, this could have been filmed in most any rural part of the U.S. There's not much adventure, but lots of gunplay. And the only black soldiers in the film are portrayed as bribe-taking crooks. Yes, I know some of them are, but as only the one group(of soldiers) is shown, it gives impression that all soldiers/officials are. Also, can't remember any wildlife.

Entertaining TV movie with fine performances by the two leads. Worth seeing, though more than a little derivative of THE AFRICAN QUEEN (and it also steals one of the most famous lines from CASABLANCA). **½/****