A family film about the importance of family.
Released: 2011
Genre(s): Documentary
What aspects make a movie grab our attention? Story? Characters? Setting? It would be hard to argue that documentaries typically contain any sort of plot-driven narrative, rather choosing to present themselves as biopics or exposés. Disneynature's "African Cats" manages to transcend the pigeonholed expectations of the documentary genre, serving not only as a beautiful look at Kenya's dynamic savanna, but also capturing a real sense of adventure. In typical Disney fashion, all of the animals the movie focuses on are given names and assumed emotions: while some may be turned off by the idea of this personification, the raw ideas of mischief, adventure, curiosity, fear, love, and heart-rending loss help this feel more like a family film, and far less like a purely-educational David Attenborough special. It really does manage to tug at your heartstrings. While "African Cats" contains its fair share of animal-on-animal battles and violence, this may be one of the gentlest ways to expose a child to the savagery of nature and the ideas of loss: there is no gore whatsoever, even when the animals make a seemingly brutal kill. Much like the subjects this movie focuses on, "African Cats" is a glossy, gorgeous spectacle, and a great addition to the Disneynature library.
Rating (out of 5): 4
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