Steve D
A sad end for one of the greats.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/27/24
Full Review
Audience Member
At 80 minutes the opening credits are ten minutes long and just stock footage of nature. Terrible.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I never thought I'd say this, but this was the absolute worst film that I have ever seen to star the best actor of all time: James Stewart. I heared that this one was bad, but I thought that if Stewart was in it, then maybe he would keep it from it's slow death. But it was actually so horriable, that he didn't even come close to it's rescue. The usual Stewart flair was not displayed here, making this film D.O.A. Many considered this the biggest stinker of Stewart's carreer (which maybe so) , and asked him why he even took the role. His response was that since it was to be shot in Africa, it gave him a perfect oppertunity to go back there. So, he must've not had high hopes for this one. Next to "Pot O' Gold" in 1941, this was the worst J.S. film I've ever seen. No one could act, the plot (what there was of one) goes nowhere, and from the looks of things, the director wanted to make more of a documentary on Africa, than make a film that has a storyline hiding within it. During small, and pointless scenes filled with bad acting, and crappy dialougue, you get 2-5 minute seaquences of zebras hearding, elephants wallowing in the mud with their babbies etc. Those snippets were gorgously shot. If director Susumu Hani would have made the film a 5 or 15 minute short with that alone, I probably would have liked it. The only reasons to see this clunker is for some great shots of the animals that roam around the African territory, and for the very last on screen appearance of actor James Stewart.
Spoiler Alert (Eventhough I Don't Think That I'm Really Spoiling Much Of Anything)
The film revolves around some guy played by Phillip Sayer, who crashes his plane in Africa, and comes out alive, but with amnesha, which isn't really made clear, until half way into this dreck. He comes across the one named actress Kathy, and her grandfather, Stewart, who live in a shack, deep into the African jungle, who pass the time by taking in injured animals, to fix up, and send on their way. Well, Stewart doesn't like the fact, that this guy, has tresspassed on their turf, and chases him off. The guy shows up again the next day, and Stewart takes him in like a son, as if he had amnesia, as well, and totally forgot what had transpired the day before. They also take in a cougar, just tought I'd add that in there, for no apparent reason. Not too long after his arrival, they take him in as if to replace the grandson, who is buried next door. Then, "a major plot twist" comes out of nowhere, the pilot, with no memory, has a divorced wife back in the states. She heared that he crashed in Africa, so she's going to see if he's alive, and if so, she is going to see if there is any hope left for the both of them. Then, we get another random scene thrown in, I think just to lengthen, this already long winded, bore snore. A stranger shows up, and is going to destroy the entire forest, by throwing dynamite, into one tree at a time. Stewart get's ticked, and shouts at him. Then, after that scene, we don't see the guy with dynamite for the rest of the film, nor is that particular subject brought up ever again. This review has got to be getting very long by now, so, despite how much more bad things there is to say about this film, I'll wrap it up quickly. By this time, the amnesia dude, has fallen in love with Kathy, Stewart dies in a flood, and she shows little sadness, (even though she was very close to her grandfather) They bury him next to the grandson, while doing so, the ex pops up out of nowhere, holding the rifle that she discovered in her ex-hubbie's trashed plane. After finding out that he is in love with Kathy, and didn't have any recollection of her at all, she gets ticked, and shoots him in the back. The final scene shows him after his operation, and he gets up as if he just had a mild case of the flue. Then, they frollick off into the sunset, as a 60's soundtrack is playing. And there you have it, an overlong review on one of the worst films ever created.
Just incase you still want to see this "gem" it's also known as "Afurika Monogatari," and "A Tale Of Africa."
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
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