Duma Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Some friendships are wilder than others.
An orphaned cheetah becomes the best friend and pet of a young boy living in South Africa.
| Alex Michaeletos | Xan |
| Campbell Scott | Peter |
| Mary Makhatho | Thandi |
| Nthabiseng Kenoshi | Lucille |
| Hope Davis | Kristin |
| Jennifer Steyn | Aunt Gwen |
| Nicky Rebello | Coach Nagy |
| Garth Renecle | Hock Bender |
| Andre Stolz | Xan's Teacher |
| Charlotte Savage | Poetry Student |
| Ronald Shange | Policeman |
| Eamonn Walker | Ripkuna |
| Nadia Kretschmer | Tourist #1 |
| John Whiteley | Tourist #2 |
| Clive Scott | Tourist #3 - Eager Man |
| Carroll Ballard |
7.20 out of 10 (1728 votes)
Visitor Reviews
a boy and his cheetah
posted on 04 May 2009I read Roger Ebert's review of this movie, in it he said that this was not a kid's movie but slanted towards adults. Well, ha ha, I don't know about that. Supposedly based on a true story, this kid, (Alex Michaletos) takes a cheetah (duma) and tries to return him to the wilds. First off, cheetahs are not the most endearing animal on this planet. For one thing they are as skinny as a fashion model and have a sort of perpetual dumb look on their face. The director, Carroll Ballard, who also did The Black Stallion, provides no surprises in this movie. It is very predictable. The kid is cuter than the freckled faced actor in the Black Stallion. However the horse(s) in that movie had a lot more personality. Alex does have this whiny high voice and one can only hope that puberty is just around the corner. Unfortunately, the movie really is aimed at kids and not really adult fare. However, I did not fall asleep during it and the sound track is great, which if I can find it, I will buy it. Maybe cheetahs would be better off in zoos where they could be fed and could get fat.
Fantastic, heartwarming. Something kids from 5 to 105 might enjoy
posted on 04 Apr 2009I really enjoyed this movie! It was a great story about a boy and a cheetah he found orphaned at about 6 weeks of age. They grew very close, became best friends! It was refreshing to see a real motion picture. No computer graphics here all the real stuff. There were some sad parts, some slightly spooky parts but nothing that would be terrifying to most children older than 5. The cheetah is portrayed with a personality almost human-like. The boy and his cheetah go on a real adventure when it is time for the cheetah to return to the wild.Breathtaking scenery, gorgeous wide open spaces and a few scary close calls with some hungry lions!!! In the end all works out well for all the characters. Not some syrupy, sappy ending just a good all around sensible ending.I watched it on DVD, you should be able to find it if you look.ENJOY!
Well Made Family Film
posted on 07 Mar 2009I was surprised how powerful DUMA was - I remember all the good reviews it got when the W.Brothers butchered it's release, basically giving up on it and hardly putting it in any theatres because they did not believe in it and THEN it got some real raves and by then, it was too late. I'm glad to see that it is doing strong business as a DVD. The director is a veteran of well made "nature" films - BLACK STALLION, NEVER CRY WOLF and FLY AWAY HOME are all well made films where humans and nature try and get along. He does a marvelous job with this story as well. My children, ages 6 and 11, loved the adventure aspect of the boy trying to take his cheetah back into the wild. The acting is excellent (nice to see Hope Davis and Campbell Scott lend their talents to such a project) but the truly great performance is by Eammon Walker who plays Rip - a mysterious stranger the boy meets once stranded out in the wild. Walker plays a truly dimensional man and brings such honesty and subtlety to the character. The film is smart and emotional and beautiful. I hate that we live in a culture where bad remakes like The Longest Yard can rake in millions upon millions and yet a beautifully made film like this can't even get a wide release. It's a Catch 22 nowadays - so many people complain about the crap coming out of Hollywood - where are the quality family films and then here comes DUMA and no one hardly sees it. Do your family a favor and rent DUMA - it's overall message of how precious life and love is is something to savor.
Froma director's POV
posted on 27 Feb 2009Even when some people would like a story to be told the way they wanted, it's impossible to criticise someone else because his or her point of view.There is a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable on the appartheid issue. Sad to see that.This story is a well told one. Maybe not perfection, but I dare anyone to better it. The idea is beautiful. The performances, top notch, even when there are but two real ones. The cinematography is way out of our traditional American feature. Maybe this is one of the points that makes this story as compelling as The Black Stallion.Please, try to think you're not an American or someone who's been brain-designed by the American film industry. This is the kind of films I ENJOY with my kids, because they enjoy them, and don't feel treated like fools.Do I have a biased POV about American films? You got it! Not all of them, not all the time, but, yes, there's a deep and troubling cliché behind them.Even if you don't like stories about animals and kids, please, please! watch for the African scenery.
A Good Family Movie
posted on 17 Nov 2008This is a family film with a simple story. A boy and his father rescue a baby cheetah, raise it, and plan to return it to the wild. When the father unexpectedly dies, the boy sets out on his own to return the cheetah to its environment. There's nothing complex in the tale, but a family film doesn't need to be complex to be a good story and get its points across.You can sit down and watch with your children or grandchildren and not be totally bored because of the extraordinary scenes with Duma, the cheetah along with the exceptional beauty of the countryside. The relationship between the boy and his father as they work with the young cheetah offers rewarding insight into that special bond between father and son. As the film progresses, we see how that bond has provided strength of character to the boy when he is alone and faced with the trials that arise in his quest to return Duma to his rightful home.Some of the totally improbable occurrences in the film caused me to drop my personal rating, but they surely will have little effect upon the younger viewers of the film. After all, this is a film created for family viewing. I was also disappointed that the DVD did not have a special feature about the making of the film. As I watched the movie, I looked forward to seeing some of the behind the scenes insights to working with the cheetah, but then found there were none. I often find that the special features very often "make" a film of this sort. As example, the special feature included in March of the Penguins, I thought, was far better than the movie because it gave far more insight into the total experience.If you enjoy and simple story, beautiful scenery of exotic places, and exceptional interaction with a beautiful wild animal, you'll enjoy Duma whether you watch it with adults or children.
An Excellent Family Film
posted on 30 Sep 2008It is a real shame that DUMA failed to receive any sort of theatrical release here in New Zealand, as the film offers many enchanting moments for adults and children alike. The story mainly concerns the strong bond between Xan, a young white South African boy, and Duma, his orphaned Cheetah, and the adventures they have as they cross the country to return Duma his homeland to attempt to induct him back into the wild.DUMA is directed by Carroll Ballard with an unparalleled eye for the visual beauty of the scenery and countless creatures found in this natural habitat; so much so that you could be mistaken for thinking that you were watching the Discovery Channel at times. Alexander Michaletos (Xan) has the majority of the screen time and gives a solid performance in conveying a broad range of emotions and feelings and seems right at home with his feral co-stars. Eamonn Walker, as Ripkuna, and Campbell Scott and Hope Davis, in limited roles as Xan's parents, are all also outstanding, and the work with the Cheetah(s) is remarkable with little, if any, cheating using CGI.Perhaps the greatest achievement of this film, however, is to fully develop Duma, yes - the Cheetah, into a genuine three dimensional character. The way camera lingers on this magnificent creature, highlighting his stripes and fur, reactions and mannerisms, helps us, the audience, fall in love with the real star of the film. The adventures and encounters that Duma and Xan have along the way to their eventual destination contain more heart, more subtle nuances and a greater sense of discovery than any family film released so far this year. If you can get through the opening few scenes without your heart melting then you are truly made of stone. Recommended.
The Return of Carroll Ballard in a Magical Cheetah Adventure
posted on 28 Sep 2008I have to admit I watched this family film solely based on Roger Ebert's enthusiastic thumbs-up, and I'm glad I did. It made me immediately recall a film from my childhood, Alexander Mackendrick's 1963 "A Boy Ten Feet Tall" about a boy who travels the length of the African continent by himself after his parents are killed. The more obvious inspiration, however, is James Hill's 1966 "Born Free" about a lioness that needs to be returned to the wild. The fact that this 2005 film is directed by Carroll Ballard, who made the remarkable 1979 film, "The Black Stallion", ensures a level of craftsmanship rare in films these days. Thanks mainly to the sumptuous cinematography by Werner Maritz, this is a panoramic nature film of the highest order.The plot itself is small as befitting a family film. Based on a true story, it focuses on twelve year-old Xan, who has raised a cheetah named Duma on his family's South African farm since both were cubs. A tragedy forces Xan to take Duma out to the wild, where it belongs, without telling his mother. He makes it on a motorcycle to the middle of the Kalahari Desert where he runs out of gas and meets a suspicious wanderer named Ripkuna. Their adventures together make up the best parts of the film after a too-lengthy set-up in South Africa. There are impressive scenes highlighting the rapport between Xan and Duma, and Ballard sets up some highly creative action sequences around the motorcycle's conversion into a wind-surfing vehicle, a collapsing mine tunnel, an overwhelming tsetse fly attack and a hair-raising whitewater raft trip amid hungry crocodiles. It is the realism of these scenes that makes the film resonate more than a standard animal film.The acting is not the chief attraction here. However, Alexander Michaletos, who was apparently raised on a farm among cheetahs, plays Xan with natural élan, and Eamonn Kelly brings the requisite mystery to Ripkuna. Sporting British accents, indie favorites Campbell Scott and Hope Davis have little more than cameos as Xan's parents. The 2006 DVD is light on extras - no commentary or making-of featurette (which could have been fascinating in this case); just the trailer and a couple of extended scenes are included. Still, this is a fine film to appreciate Ballard's too-rarely-seen cinematic artistry in conveying the delicate balance between humans and animals.
Perfect fare for Ballard
posted on 16 Jun 2008This movie is yet another excellent entry in the "One Parent Dies/Child Makes Sense of It Through Animal" portfolio of Carol Ballard. And, along with "Fly Away Home" and "The Black Stallion", his direction is first-class and very evocative. This is a great family film which, for some reason, despite two releases into theaters, never caught on. The story and the actors are great but most of all I admire Ballard as an overlooked genius behind the camera, even when reworking the same emotional ground (albeit in different countries). I always look forward to the relatively few movies he makes with great anticipation. There is some mention here of the political view of the film but I think that is addressed on a very universal level yet, at the same time, very personal level of the two main protagonists. That accounts for much of the movie's magic.
Duma movie great for families and parents
posted on 09 May 2008A lot of parents, myself included, enjoy movies and are constantly looking for something worthwhile to attend a theater and take our kids to. I prefer to enjoy the movie I've paid for and would rather be at least a little interested. Unfortunately the last few years have been extremely hard on parents; if we want to take our kids to movies we might as well sleep because the movie is going to insult our intelligence and have the kids repeating the most annoying catch phrases for the next week. I'd rather not and try to keep that kind of movie watching to a minimum or less. I found Duma by accident while I was looking through foreign films to be shown at Seattle's Northwest Film Forum. There they had a small summary of the film and I was curious to see if they were right. I took my husband and eight-year-old daughter to see Duma and was very pleased. Duma has the cute cat, a cute kid, loving parents, but also something more about growing up with a conscience and braving your environment to accomplish something great. I saw Black Beauty as a child and loved it. So tonight when I saw Duma I was surprised that the director Carroll Ballard also directed Fly Away Home another winner movie. This is the sort of film that makes you feel good as if you have watched Disney's White Fang. The previous reviewer mentioned that it was reminiscent of Walkabout; another good film. But how many films do we get to see a realistic Africa in? If the Disney company could take a lesson and hire intelligent directors like Carroll Ballard and I wouldn't have to screen the critics before going to the movies--boy that would be nice. I'm also grateful to Roger Ebert for recommending this film and making Warner Brothers take notice that the film they were ready to shelf is worth more than they give it credit for. My daughter cried, and laughter and said she really liked this film. I feel the same way, but on so many more levels. Kudos to everyone who worked on this film to make it worth substance!
Captures the heart of true friendship and of the African wilderness
posted on 05 May 2008'Duma' is a poignant tale of a young South African lad's devotion to his pet cheetah and that can easily be enjoyed by both adults and young children alike. It doesn't pander to infants in the audience, relying on good story-telling, engaging character interaction and beautiful scenery to set the scene for a thoroughly delightful film.In this film, we follow the adventures of twelve-year-old Xan, a child raised on a small farm in remote South Africa and whose best friend is Duma, a cheetah he found as a tiny cub. Life is good for boy and cheetah until Xan's father takes ill then dies, forcing him and his mother to relocate to the city in a move that would condemn Duma to an animal reserve. However, Xan is determined to follow his father's plans to return Duma to the wild and embarks on a journey across the planes of South Africa with his beloved cheetah by his side. Along the way, he befriends mysterious, and possibly treacherous, drifter Rip and Mashaka the bush baby.Alexander Michaeletos, who played Xan, is a very natural young actor and captures the heart of his character depicting the boy's unflinching love for Duma as well as his underlying pain at the loss of his beloved father. Eamonn Walker also delivers a great performance as gruff Rip, leaving you wondering about his motives in regards to Xan and Duma until he finally shows his true colours. And, of course, the animals themselves deserve much credit! Mashaka the bush baby was just adorable as was the big-hearted Duma, who really seemed to have a bond with young Michaeletos. I also loved how they included Duma's sound effects, bringing home just how cheetahs are like over-grown house cats with the way he mewed and purred away.The wonderful thing about 'Duma' is there is nothing cutesy or pretentious about it and that is refreshing. It doesn't rely on silly jokes or overly-precocious kids to sell its story. It is just an endearingly honest film about how friendship can transcend species and one boy's journey both across Africa and across the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Highly recommended for animal lovers who want something a bit different from Hollywood kiddie flicks.
Excellent movie for the whole family
posted on 03 May 2008We have 4 children between 5 and 11 and it is difficult to find a movie that we all enjoy. Duma did the tick and we spent a wonderful evening together.The characters are deep enough to make them credible and stimulating some thoughts: is Ripkuna good or bad? why does the buy run away from him? why does the boy fight with his mother?It has beautiful images, a great story, leaves a strong message (growing, changing and leaving is part of life)...in short a wonderful movie.I am surprised that I had not heard of it at all before "stumbling" into it at the local DVD rental shop.
Splendid is everything . . .
posted on 07 Apr 2008"Nature breaks through the eyes of the cat." Irish proverb With the emergence of digitized everything, photography of the actual thing is now the amazement. Splendid is everything visualized in Duma, the story of a young South African boy, Xan (Alex Michaeletos) who brings up an orphaned cheetah, Duma, to the day when his father (Campbell Scott) decides it is perilously close to the time when Duma couldn't survive in the wild.And so, about the time they are to return Duma to his world, Xan becomes a sort of orphan himself because dad dies and leaves Xan and his mother with a big ranch to tend. As predictable as the right of passage story that ensues with Xan taking Duma back, there is a freshness of simplicity and beauty, joy and sorrow that overwhelms the clichés and makes you eager to go back to animal stories of early film, like Old Yeller, where the pets are as human than their masters and make real the abstract idea of Nature.An unusual care for lens and animal is palpable from director Carroll Ballard and cinematographer Werner Meritz, unforgettable even. The four cheetahs used for Duma are as often lensed close up as they are in long shots, beautifully stretching their sixty-mile –an-hour legs.With the consistency director Carroll Ballard showed in the acclaimed Fly Away Home, he weaves the theme of abandonment and reconciliation into every major scene: Even the enigmatic intruder Rip (Eamon Walker) has exiled himself from his tribe and is now returning home, cruising the river with Xan like Huck and Jim. That eventually animals and humans must take up their responsibilities is also present almost from the first frame. Nothing new here, just a good old-fashioned pet tale, which never is boring for me, a perpetual boy with an English major's tendency to see poetry in a landscape or a cheetah's eye. "Nature never did betray the heart that loved her." Wordsworth
I flew away home after I saw it.
posted on 03 Apr 2008In Fly Away Home Carroll Ballard directed a moving story of an orphaned flock of goslings that needed to be guided through their first migration. The guide was a young girl that recently lost her mother and she was helped by a father she didn't know at all. Duma is a radical departure from that theme. In Duma it is an orphaned cheetah. a young boy and a deceased father. If it worked in Fly Away Home so well why not stick to it eh? Duma begins with a cheetah cub being orphaned when some mean old lions make a snack out of mama. It's the first of many scenes where Ballard shows his impressive talent for weaving nature footage into a feature film. The problems start when we are introduced to the human characters. The acting is not the problem and with a cast including Campbell Scott, Eamon Walker and Hope Davis it shouldn't be. The characters they have to play though are too two dimensional to really care much about. Scott plays a father without flaws and Davis is a caring but slightly distant mother. The early scenes of Xan (a debuting Alex Michaeletos) with with Peter (Scott) do not carry enough emotional weight for the death of Xan's father to move us.Xan's subsequent quest to return Duma to the wild is where the real story is. Again it is a competently performed story that plays more or less straight with nothing to really engage us outside of beautiful shots of cheetahs and the South African landscape. Ripkuna (Walker) finds Xan sheltered in the wreckage of an old airplane where his motorbike ran out of gas. As they begin their journey across the wilderness they encounter dangerous and benign animals to about the same effect for filmgoers: mild, detached amusement. Toss in some light personality conflict and you've got an idea of what happens.One wonders what a South African director might have done with the same material. Though there is a different sensibility in adult-child relationships, it's still a little uncomfortable watching a black man dig for water in a scalding sun while the white kid sits in the shade with his pet cheetah. Nothing is taught to the audience in Xan's classroom either though it's almost entirely white. Even in naming the cat there is a chance to say something. Duma is the Swahili word for cheetah. Swahili isn't a dominant language in South Africa but Duma only sounds cool to them because it's from a language that they don't, and likely wouldn't, speak. Would any of the Anglophones on this list name their cat Gato? Duma doesn't end up having much to say about love, loss or life in South Africa. Great wildlife shots redeem the film a bit but given that Ballard already told this story, it would have been nice if it was done as well this time around.
excellent family film but not Ballard's best work
posted on 02 Mar 2008I rented this film when I discovered that Carroll Ballard had directed it. One of my favorite films is Never Cry Wolf, and I also own and love The Black Stallion. Both of these films transcend the typical family film with an intellectual depth and patience worthy of the finest dramatic films made. Duma explores the same Thoreauvian theme of man's relationship with nature but lacks the kind of patience necessary for a more intellectually emotional and thoughtful study. The photography isn't as rich and complex as Wolf or Stallion either. Having said that, the wildlife footage is amazing and frankly, mind-boggling, and if you liked Fly Away Home and the human relationships in that film and in Stallion, you will probably like Duma. In addition, I can't imagine anyone not enjoying the shots of Duma, the cheetah. What a beautiful and lovable cat.
Starts off slow...but was a pleasant surprise
posted on 02 Mar 2008I watched Duma whilst on a flight from Palma to the UK and after nearly missing the flight (oops) sitting down to watch a film seemed a good way to wind down! When i first started watching it, we were stopped repeatedly for turbulence, so i did miss a few parts, but it seemed to start really slow, and just reminded me of Born Free...but about half an hour/45 mins into the movie, it really became it's own and was a truly inspirational and uplifting movie.It is a definite for families, but also for anyone of any age! Such a shame it never had a wider cinematic release.10 out of 10!!
Two paws up
posted on 27 Feb 2008Duma was one of the real sleepers of 2005, full of gorgeous scenery, good acting and a sweet story. Eamonn Walker as Ripkuna is exceptional as the Savannah smart man of the plains and Alexander Michaeletos as the boy on a quest is exceptional for his young age. The story may seem fairly pat but the execution of the plot is done with style and depth of emotion pretty rare in "animal" movies. However, this story transcends cheetah cuteness and extends to a boy's rite of passage quite literally. Duma is noble, adorable and talented which gives the movie a handsome centerpiece. The scene when Duma is reunited is one of the most touching in film history. Not sappy but full of courage and real love.
A Sensational Work Blending Heart and Mind
posted on 11 Feb 2008"Duma" comes along to show us it is possible to create a work of art that combines compassion, intelligence, creativity, and insight. I'm a bit hesitant to even mind some of the comments made by a few people about this film. It is NOT about the people of the country, or a particular point of view. It is supposed to be about a boy and his closest relationship to another living thing on this planet. It is an adventure that doesn't rely on cheap special effects and far fetched ideas that no one but a movie executive find any connection to. It is not about throwing a gimmick in front of our faces and failing to deliver. "Duma" just opens a window to a world that is slowly dying in front of us.After seeing the film, I couldn't stop thinking about the marvelous nature of the cheetah, as a creature, a friend, another member of this world's wonders. As the film unfolds, we witness other marvels along the way, as our young protagonist finds ways to solve several quests in the story. There were a few instances where I had to catch my breath for the sheer magic displayed on the screen: the vistas, the expressions, the lyrical beauty which was composed by the various parts. It was a universal experience that can reach and touch both adults and children. The best part is that we went back to the primal essence of cinema, the ability to conjure or transports us to the magic that exists in our own world."Duma" stands for the soul in us, a part of our world that keeps us going and refuses to let go. An artist, like Mr. Ballard can create this type of entertainment, the kind that allows us to reflect on what is important, leads us to think and to care about where we're going, and what the rewards and consequences might be. This is an important film that, in typical fashion, is being neglected by the moguls of entertainment. Catch it in the big screen to get its full impact, relish it, and pass the word around. Here is a film that earns the title of a classic right away.
A must see family movie
posted on 07 Nov 2007Our family saw Duma yesterday and we loved it so much, I had to place our vote today! Congratulations to Carroll Ballard, Warner Brothers and everyone else responsible for creating such a beautifully filmed movie with an equally as wonderful story! Duma is a must see for children; it sure beats most everything else out today in terms of story quality! The cinematography was incredible and all scenes involving animals were wonderfully done. I hope that big studios bring us more movies of this caliber for family entertainment. I for one, and hopefully not the only one, am tired of special effects carrying a movie as well as heroes and villains that are way too out of the ordinary.
A heartwarming coming of age movie that deserves to be seen
posted on 16 Oct 2007I feel fortunate that Warner Brothers has chosen to screen "Duma" here in the Chicago area. I only hope they decide to support a nationwide release because this is a movie that deserves to be seen. I found myself crying several times at the touching story, and also heard my own laughter echoed by others in the theater during the humorous moments.I found out about "Duma" while I was researching a book I'm currently reading. It's called "The Spotted Sphinx" and is by Joy Adamson - the same woman who wrote "Born Free". During the filming of the movie based on the book "Born Free", Joy was given a young female cheetah and was asked if she could rehabilitate it back into the wild. "The Spotted Sphinx" and its follow-up, "Pippa's Challenge" are about that rehabilitation process. "Duma" is about a similar situation, except it is about a young boy and how he also finds himself while helping his pet cheetah find "home" again. The boy who portrays "Xan" is excellent in the role and you can really feel the love he has for his animal. The cinematography is beautiful, and I was very pleased with how true-to-life they were with how cheetahs interact with people. Cheetahs can be tamed (for the most part) and are very affectionate - something that was shown in the film.I went to a matinée showing, fully expecting to be one of only a few in the theater, but was pleasantly surprised to find it almost full. There were more adults than children, so that just shows that the limited press "Duma" received was enough to make others want to see this film while they had the chance. I'm an adult, and have no children, but love films that show the beauty of nature and positive interactions with animals. This would be a great film to bring kids to, particularly boys since Xan had such an amazing coming of age adventure.By the way, the music is excellent too. I really hope they end up releasing this on DVD.
- 1
- 2
Parents - Decent Family Movie, but exercise caution for younger children
posted on 13 Jul 2009I'm not going to provide a comprehensive review, but provide a caution to parents who might be deceived by some of the other glowing family viewing endorsements. I have a hard time considering this movie appropriate for children as young as 5, as some suggest, or even a couple years older. If you're a parent, read on.The story begins with the death of the mother cheetah by lions, thus orphaning Duma. I also read quite a number of reviews and yet none mentioned the father died. Most reviews suggest that sickness required the family be transplanted to the big city, not death. There are segments where Xan is trying to evade animals that could eat him. There's a segment, not very well developed and rather unbelievable, where havoc erupts when Duma enters school grounds and in an unpleasant scene, classmate bullies corner Xan in the bathroom while Xan is searching for Duma before the police see and shoot him (surprise...Duma saves the day). These things are not lightly touched upon in cartoon or offhand fashion, but presented as real events with real consequences.Maybe these are spoilers, but my point is that for parent's screening films, it should be known. There are some parents and kids that don't seem ruffled by emotional themes that resonate especially with children (abandonment, death of parent(s), being lost, being all alone to deal with dangers or fears). There are other parents though that want to shy away from movies that do so at least at a younger age.Our 7yo son crawled into our bed after the movie and wanted to be alone to cry after this movie. At some point in his growth, it will dawn on him that he could be all alone just like Xan. My son was also crying for the mother because now she was all alone. But one should walk into this movie at least being aware and prepared that you may need to talk your children through it.This is not a movie to park your kid in front of the TV with and this is not a movie for 5 year old's. If you were hoping for an uplifting tale of a boy who rescues and raises a cheetah then has excitement and adventures before releasing him to the wild...it is, sort of. But that's like saying Saving Private Ryan is story about a man who, well, saved a Private Ryan. Along the way, it can get a little scary and touch on topics that you ought to be prepared to field.