Duma

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Duma

PG

Released Sep 30, 2005

1h 40m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Xan (Alexander Michaletos) lives on a ranch in Kenya with his mother (Hope Davis) and father (Campbell Scott). When the family stumbles upon an abandoned baby cheetah one afternoon, Xan takes the cub in and begins to care for it as if it were his own. Over time, Xan grows incredibly attached to the cheetah, which the family names Duma. But some relationships cannot last, and in this case, Xan must learn the hard lesson that not all animals are meant to be domesticated.

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Critics Consensus

This is an old-fashioned, richly textured family film that will appeal to children and adults alike.

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Michael Booth

Denver Post

It's a crime what happened to the wonderful African wilderness movie Duma in 2005. Beautifully directed by veteran Carroll Ballard, Duma fell flat in the United States because of bad timing and abysmal marketing.

Feb 8, 2008

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Nancy Churnin

Dallas Morning News

For those wishing they still made films like The Black Stallion, today is your lucky day.

Rated: B+

Mar 31, 2006

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Philip Kennicott

Washington Post

Visually panoramic, a film that revels in making the expanse of a beautiful place palpable.

Mar 30, 2006

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Michael Clark

Epoch Times

Few filmmakers can get remotely close to matching Ballard's slugging percentage. He said what he had to say, never wore out his welcome, and exited on a high note. More than a few of his lesser-talented contemporary peers should follow his lead.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 28, 2022

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Heather Boerner

Common Sense Media

Enchanting coming-of-age story for kids.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 18, 2010

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

A pure children's film with an exciting story, genuine characters, and deep messages about life, love, and loss.

Apr 29, 2009

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG for Mild Adventure Peril!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $860,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy 20th anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Dave C

Bland and poorly told story we've seen versions of before. Still, interesting enough to lift above a single star

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/29/24

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Peter G

A few minor realistic elements aside this is a very satisfying & largely believable ˋcoming of age‘ film which illustrates a growing & touching bond between a 12 year old boy & a baby orphan cheetah that he & his father rescue & how this relationship develops as the animal grows. It shows in a honest non sentimental fashion how the young boy comes to understand where this wild animal really belongs which then begins a rather incredible but exciting adventure to return the cheetah to its proper wild habitat. Ballard, the director, has made other films showing man & animal dealing with nature & his celebrated cinematography is well on display here. Not merely a ˋfamily film‘ but a thoughtful one for all ages.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/28/23

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Audience Member

One of my all time favorite films. Not because it is some masterpiece, but because it is a wonderfully simple story that is told very well. Visually charming, wonderful characters, and a great setting! I also love the music in this film. Songs like "Issa Lullaby" and "Phiry the Bird Sings" are some of my favorites. As a side note, I used to live in South Africa and the cheetah from this film visited my school (AISJ Pretoria was the school)! This was awhile ago. Maybe 2006. I was in 2nd grade and they brought the cheetah into our classroom and let us all line up pet her! She was very calm and it was the first time I had ever seen a cheetah so up close! One the many reasons this film holds a fond place in my heart.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

Simply beautiful, both visually and emotionally a must see

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

One of my all time favorite movies

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Carroll Ballard

Director

Alex Michaeletos

Xan

Eamonn Walker

Ripkuna

Campbell Scott

Peter

Hope Davis

Kristin

Mary Makhatho

Thandi

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Synopsis

Xan (Alexander Michaletos) lives on a ranch in Kenya with his mother (Hope Davis) and father (Campbell Scott). When the family stumbles upon an abandoned baby cheetah one afternoon, Xan takes the cub in and begins to care for it as if it were his own. Over time, Xan grows incredibly attached to the cheetah, which the family names Duma. But some relationships cannot last, and in this case, Xan must learn the hard lesson that not all animals are meant to be domesticated.

Director: Carroll Ballard
Producer: Kristin Harms, Hunt Lowry, John Wells
Screenwriter: Carol Flint, Karen Janszen
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Pandora Pictures, Gaylord Films, John Wells Productions, Warner Brothers
Rating: PG (Mild Adventure Peril)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 3, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $860.0K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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