African Cats (2011)

dir: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey

An epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth, African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother's strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion. (Cinema-Source)

Cast:

stoker rated African Cats

6 stars

Grigorij added a trailer of African Cats

Grigorij added a trailer of African Cats

marjorie-baumgarten added a review of African Cats

This Earth Day release has honorable intentions, but it imbues the animals with human emotions and motives, which only muddies our understanding of these ferocious feline species. Read the review

rick-groen added a review of African Cats

No doubt, life is tough in the wild but, this being a Disney flick, it's loving too and even comes with a kiddie-friendly narrative that's easy to summarize and hard to dispute. Read the review

lisa-schwarzbaum added a review of African Cats

Not coincidentally, African Cats opens on Earth Day. Meeting these magnificent fellow creatures might be a fine way to celebrate. Read the review

joe-neumaier added a review of African Cats

African Cats, while often adorable and at times gripping, is more of a TV-ready experience. Read the review

lou-lumenick added a review of African Cats

Kids will love African Cats, which is full of "aw" moments. Their parents will appreciate that narrator Samuel L. Jackson keeps things from getting too schmaltzy in this true-life depicti... Read the review

rachel-saltz added a review of African Cats

At one point the lions make a meal of a lovely young zebra they've just killed. That spelled the end for the little boy sitting next to me. "I'm too scared," he said, and he dragged his m... Read the review

amy-biancolli added a review of African Cats

May be Disney's most pointedly feminist effort since "Mulan." Read the review

gary-goldstein added a review of African Cats

Despite its family-friendly trappings, "Cats" is largely serious stuff; deliberately paced, thematically dark and often wistfully told, with enough moments of survival-oriented tension an... Read the review

claudia-puig added a review of African Cats

This is Disneynature's third and best release, after 2009's "Earth" and 2010's "Oceans." With its compelling narrative of survival, it will probably be the one that most enthralls audiences. Read the review

keith-uhlich added a review of African Cats

Since this is a House of Mouse production, sentimental order must inevitably be grafted onto nature's pitiless chaos. The cornball voiceover ascribes human wants and desires to the animals. Read the review

stephanie-zacharek-movieline added a review of African Cats

Mostly, though, African Cats is extremely tactful about the truly harsh stuff that goes down in the world of nature. Read the review

tom-russo added a review of African Cats

Scholey, Fothergill, and crew do impressive work, but we're also reminded that wild animals don't know from cues, marks, and scripts. That's part of what makes them so compelling. Read the review

pete-hammond added a review of African Cats

Directors Keith Scholey (who also wrote the narration) and Alastair Fothergill spent nearly three years capturing this remarkable footage, and have edited it judiciously with an eye to en... Read the review

nick-schager added a review of African Cats

That visual beauty helps compensate for a script that wastes no opportunity for heartstring tugging, often in the form of adorable tykes playing with each other and cuddling with their el... Read the review

carrie-rickey added a review of African Cats

Though African Cats is G-rated, scenes of animals chowing down on other animals are not for the faint of heart or delicate of stomach. I don't think it's suitable for those under 6, and t... Read the review

roger-moore added a review of African Cats

Almost every shot is a postcard-perfect African vista, and every animal shown in majestic close-up. Read the review

kirk-honeycutt added a review of African Cats

The cinematography and editing are as superb as the film's feline stars are photogenic and heroic. Read the review