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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.
For those wishing they still made films like The Black Stallion, today is your lucky day.
Visually panoramic, a film that revels in making the expanse of a beautiful place palpable.
Too suspenseful for the youngest children, but for anyone older than 8 or 9, it evokes nothing less than awe at the harsh beauty of the natural world.
Like its title character, Duma has been left to fend for itself by Warner Bros., which is barely releasing it. A successful showing this weekend will prove that there really is an audience for this brand of thoughtful, literate family film.
Family films can be simplistic or condescending, but the joy of Carroll Ballard's work is that it's neither.
Enchanting coming-of-age story for kids.
A handcrafted masterpiece.
It's as good as this sort of thing gets, and deserves to be seen in a proper auditorium rather than on DVD.
The film opens with some adorable cheetah cubs, so you're instantly hooked, but there's more to this than just a bunch of cute animals.
... a beautifully photographed journey that will thrill youngsters and strongly engage adults.
With ravenous alligators and lions on the prowl, Duma delivers familiar adventure, but Ballard refuses to cater to cuteness.
... leads us on a journey -- sometimes humorous, sometimes harrowing, always heartfelt -- that's well worth taking.
Director Carroll Ballard makes only one type of movie -- family adventures that feature some sort of wildlife. To his credit, however, he does them pretty well.
Director Carroll Ballard ... not only captures stellar images of nature, but feels the call of the wild in his bones.
Chances are excellent that Carroll Ballard's latest film 'Duma' isn't playing in a theater anywhere near you. That's a shame. It's one of those rare children's films that actually succeeds in delighting tots and their parents.
Exciting but never violent, deeply emotional but never saccharine, Duma is the sort of solid family film Hollywood is always being criticized for not making any more.
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