African Cats

2011

African Cats

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.

77%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 17,365

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Movie Info

An epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth, African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother's strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion. -- (C) Cinema-Source

Rating:

G
Genre:

Action & Adventure, Documentary, Special Interest
Directed By:

Keith Scholey, Alastair Fothergill
Written By:

Keith Scholey, John Truby
In Theaters:

Apr 22, 2011 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Oct 4, 2011
Box Office:

$15,415,270
Runtime:

89 minutes
Studio:

Disneynature

Cast

Alastair King

Samuel L. Jackson
as Narrator

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Critic Reviews for African Cats

All Critics (77) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (21)

A great story, shot throughout with infinite patience.

Apr 27, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

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

Apr 26, 2012 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

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

Apr 26, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Antonia Quirke
Financial Times
Top Critic
An attempt the dramatise the animal world which just feels cheap and unworkable. A drag.

Apr 26, 2012 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review…

David Jenkins
Little White Lies
Top Critic
Hats off to the camera operators who have captured some astonishing wildlife imagery.

Dec 22, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic
Anyone with a fondness for bambinos of any species should melt at the sight of mamas with nuzzling cubs.

Apr 22, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic
The vistas of the African safari are stunning.

Apr 26, 2019 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
Add a cool narration by the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson, though, and you have something really special.

Jan 8, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner
African Cats' simplistic view of the African outback is far more dramatic and emotionally engaging than it is education.

Jan 7, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Patrick Gamble
CineVue
It's just a shame you can't turn the voiceover off and tone down some of the orchestral accompaniment - the African Cats footage itself is dramatic enough alone.

Aug 27, 2018 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Isabel Stevens
ViewLondon
Without the sweeping aerial shots and the rest of the highly impressive camerawork, the documentary doesn't add up to more than standard, harmless wilderness fare for the kiddos.

Jan 29, 2018 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current
the film is relatively bloodless and appropriate for all ages

Aug 24, 2013 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

View All Critic Reviews (77)

Audience Reviews for African Cats

Jan 13, 2013

An attemp to bring back the wildlife disney adventures of 1960, that said, this movie can't hold a candle to those movies. 1 star

Bruce B Super Reviewer
Feb 04, 2012

A decent family movie for parents to bring their kids to the theaters. It doesn't really offer anything about these felines that we haven't seen before on the Discovery Channel but is still good fun, with nice images and a great sound design.

Carlos M Super Reviewer
Sep 29, 2011

Another Disneynature success, African Cats may lack the narration quality or ooing and ahing moments from Earth and Oceans, but African Cats stands on its own. Plays almost like an African thriller, the film has some suspenseful scenes but it is also compassionate. Too bad the overly cheesy and sentimental music occasionally puts the film in sappy territory. Overall Rating: 72

Bradley J Super Reviewer
May 12, 2011

"African Cats" was my first outing into the world of Disney Nature and their series of documentaries about wildlife and the parts of the planet we live on that we know little about. While I was somewhat unsure what to expect going in, the result was pretty much what I might have guessed it would be and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is, by all definition, a documentary. What the makers have done to Diney-fy this film though is to place a story behind this footage that no doubt took months if not years of just waiting for a single event to happen. The animals are given names that are representative of their physical traits and the story line is something out of what was probably a draft of a "Lion King" sequel at some point. Parts of the film are fascinating and others drag. It's a mixed bag, but an entertaining experience and consistently an educational treat for the whole fam.

Philip P Super Reviewer