African Cats (2011)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Disney is going the docudrama route. Layla is the oldest lioness raising her cub Mara with Fang the leader of the River Pride. They are protected by the crocodile infested river from the pride to the north ruled by Kali and his four sons. Also Sita the cheetah is raising her five small cubs.Samuel L. Jackson is narrating the American version. Quite frankly, he's trying too hard to dramatize what is already very dramatic. The footage and the writing is plenty good enough. I miss the British voice narration which usually gives these nature documentaries the needed gravitas. The score is another problem. It's again overly dramatic. It keeps overshadowing what are very compelling animal stories.

Although many people will think that what they see in "African Cats" they have seen dozens of times before on nature documentaries on television, this documentary is all the same an entertaining one. See it on Blu-ray if you can, because the photography is simply GORGEOUS. Kids as well as their parents will probably find the movie interesting since it really shows what wild animals have to go through in the wild. Some people have said that what's shown may be too tough for kids to see, though I didn't find it really that rough. If your kids know that animals fight and kill because they have to do that to survive, I don't see them having any issues.This is a good documentary, but not great. There are two problems that hold it back from greatness. The first problem is that the movie is somewhat long and slow. Although this relaxed pace does make an agreeable tranquil feeling at first, eventually the viewer will wish that they would just get on with it. The second problem is the Samuel L. Jackson narration. Jackson does fine most of the time, but there are several spots when he suddenly talks in a real gee-whiz manner that is kind of goofy. But if you can overlook those two problems, more likely than not you'll enjoy this documentary.

African Cats is unlike any film based on the animal kingdom I've ever seen before. Its entertaining AND educational from the swift but patient Cheetah to the fierce but nurturing Lioness. Its all-natural and a great story. Its almost like a wholesome version of the Lion King--which was one of the greatest legends of all time. Its basically a story about 2 family-based feline mothers who would do ANYTHING for their cubs--they shake off "poison dart frogs" to ensure their young's survival and would die for them. They are the best moms any baby mouse-or most vulnerable creature in the world-could ask for. They're as human as they are animal. My mother and I could really relate to a lot of what the animals were going through: sadness, anger, happiness,fear, pain,etc. The mother cats loved their children unconditionally, let them 'beat' them up,constantly worried about them, and were protective of their family...hey just like our moms! Who woulda thunk? Their world is so fascinating yet so familiar. I learned a lot about animals-and people-by watching this amazing film. But how they went about filming the majestic creatures without being noticed is beyond me (perhaps JK lent them an invisibility cloak.) I like that it was so REAL. But I'm not going to lie, at times I yelled: 'Dont just stand there cameramen, do something! They're in trouble, intervene!' But sadly its best if we don't for a number of reasons :( God is watching over them and did I mention they have 9 lives? Its the great circle of life, this movie is. It shows the good, the bad, and the beautiful. If they just showed us the positive, what would we learn? Only what we want to learn. And that wouldn't do us any good. On a side note, I thought the narration made the film more interesting and exciting. All in all, African Cats is a great documentary and an even better story! Its truly one of a kind and unique ;) The footage captured in it is unbelievably breathtaking! The film is a lion in its prime. Its great for Disney fans and even better for animal lovers. But then again I think anyone would enjoy not to mention learn from this film and take it to heart. I would definitely recommend this movie to friends (perferably teens and adults.) I just love it and hope you'll feel the same way =] I will never forget the scene where the elephant goes out of his way to save the day!

I watch a lot of nature documentaries and the ones by BBC Nature have set the bar very high. "African Cats" by Disney Nature is the first film that has equaled or exceeded BBC Nature in quality.The picture quality is absolutely stunning! They must be using the highest quality cameras and lenses. The editing and music are all top quality. Some people might object to the dramatic narration by Samuel L. Jackson but I liked it.Of course the real stars here are the lions and cheetahs. The film does a really good job of showing how they interact with each other socially. While some people might accuse the film of being anthropomorphic, I felt it did an honest job of showing their social hierarchy.If you are a fan of nature documentaries, you can't miss "African Cats."