African Cats

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African Cats

G

2011

1h 30m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

79 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Filmed over two-and-a-half years in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergil's nature documentary focuses on Sita, a mother cheetah with five cubs, and Mara, a lion cub whose parents, Layla and Fang, are the aging rulers of their pride. As a single mother, it falls to Sita alone to ensure the survival of her progeny, while Mara faces a more immediate threat: If another lion topples Fang, Mara and her siblings will be killed or driven off.

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Critics Consensus

It isn't quite as majestic as its subjects, but African Cats boasts enough astounding footage -- and a big enough heart -- to keep things entertaining.

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London Evening Standard

A great story, shot throughout with infinite patience.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 27, 2012

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Some nice moments here, but this is a film that looks like a kids' TV featurette from an earlier age.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 26, 2012

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Antonia Quirke

Financial Times

Of course the photography is second to none - no sense of hidden cameras here, more a feeling of cranes and on-set catering.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 26, 2012

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

In the realm of cutesy nature documentaries, African Cats is a pretty good one.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 31, 2023

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Like some Kurosawa-style tale of ancient feudal warlords battling for power and land (or even a modern, power-hungry gangster flick).

Rated: 7/10

Nov 30, 2020

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

The most likely of Disneynature's three films to actually enthrall and captivate younger children.

Rated: 3.0/4.0

Sep 1, 2020

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Audience Member

it's not as strong as it should be for a Disney Nature documentary the scenery is magnificent as always being filmed on the African landscape the animal's journeys are documented through the toughest of times, loss, danger, and hope teaches that just like real people mothers protect their cubs and do their best to carry onto the next generation It's good but could've been better

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/24/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I'd probably have given this a 10/10 had this been the first nature documentary I had seen in the past 20 years but the sad truth is that since Planet Earth in the early 2000s there is a huge glut of programs featuring awesome nature footage. This one gets Disneyfied as well, toning down the graphic footage and adding some mild personification to attempt to construct or implant a loose narrative atop all the action. Samuel L. Jackson Binge: Jackson acted as the narrator throughout this doc and I would say nothing lost, nothing gained in describing his contribution. Now had they conjured up some human sounding voices for the animals SLJ could have really left his stamp on this. *SLJ #13

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

It's a very good documentary, if you are interested in bigger cats or African zoology.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

I absolutely adore this movie. I love the music and the environment and Samuel L. Jackson is a good narrator.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

Had my first kiss watching this opening day.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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Audience Member

We learn so little from Disney nature documentaires

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

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Keith Scholey

Director

Alastair Fothergill

Director

Samuel L. Jackson

Narrator

Patrick Stewart

Narrator

Keith Scholey

Producer

Alix Tidmarsh

Producer

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Synopsis

Filmed over two-and-a-half years in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergil's nature documentary focuses on Sita, a mother cheetah with five cubs, and Mara, a lion cub whose parents, Layla and Fang, are the aging rulers of their pride. As a single mother, it falls to Sita alone to ensure the survival of her progeny, while Mara faces a more immediate threat: If another lion topples Fang, Mara and her siblings will be killed or driven off.

Director: Keith Scholey, Alastair Fothergill
Producer: Keith Scholey, Alix Tidmarsh
Screenwriter: John Truby, Keith Scholey
Distributor: Disneynature
Production Co: Disneynature
Rating: G
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.4M
Runtime: 1h 30m

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