The Film
Disney doesn't just do animated critters. They have a whole branch devoted to documentaries, under the DisneyNature umbrella. It's pretty successful too, having launched a series of films, most notably Earth and Oceans. Now, Disney has gone back into the wild for African Cats.
African Cats follows the tale (or tails) of several lions, and throws in a few cheetahs to round out the cast. They are all like little families and narrator Samuel L. Jackson even introduces each one by name. Then, he slowly rips the rug out from under you for the next hour or so.
The cats here are beautiful, the scenery is beautiful, and even the story is beautiful -- but painfully so. This is not the cute, cuddly story that Disney (who by definition is both cute and cuddly) has led us to believe in the trailer. Instead, it's the real circle of life. These wonderful creatures are fighting for survival, and um -- spoiler! -- sometimes they don't make it. In fact, these animals seem to spend their entire lives fending off something. When they aren't engaged in catfights (literally!), they are typically tearing some other fluffy creature limb from limb for food.
In other words, if the kids have a hard time with The Lion King, they'll probably run screaming from the room during African Cats. It's a wonderful peek into wildlife. Just proceed with caution if you're planning to watch with any wee ones.
The Picture
When you're not covering your eyes, you'll notice that this is one demo-worthy Blu-ray. Like the creatures that African Cats covers, the 1.78:1 transfer is absolutely stunning. The entire documentary was filmed on the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. That translates into a lot of lush landscapes, which boast wonderful greens and yellows. That scenery also offers up a ton of detail, whether from the air or down in between the individual blades of grass. Of course, the cats are the main attraction here. The detail on the cheetahs, in particular, is quite amazing. Those spotted bodies and striped tails are not only a funky combo, but they offer up some insanely cool imagery. Expect to spot (no pun intended) details in the fur, wrinkles, and even the bloody fangs. Overall, African Cats delivers an extraordinary image that makes this one worth owning.
The Sound
Also impressive is this release's DTS-HD Master Audio mix. OK -- it's not as great as the image, but it makes for a nice match. Samuel L. Jackson narrates with a strong, informative delivery. However, the surrounding sound is what puts you in the middle of the action. There are chirps from the cubs, plenty of expressive roars from adult animals, and herds of creatures stomping and clomping across the soundfield. The animals certainly have a strong sonic presence throughout the film, but the tone is set by the little atmospheric noises, from ambient weather sounds to the roar of raging waters. All of these sounds contribute to the realism on screen.
The Extras
For such a heartfelt film, it's a shame that African Cats is so slim on extras. A featurette on the Maasai Mara National Reserve would have been nice. Instead, there's a plug for Disney projects and parks, a short piece on the fundraising related to the movie, and a Jordin Sparks music video. Disney sort of makes up for this slim selection with the Filmmaker Annotations. This option allows you to view the film with pop-up info, picture-in-picture commentary, and the option to view full-screen clips within the movie.
Final Thoughts
Disney can be proud of the latest notch in its documentary belt. That said, African Cats isn't exactly the film that the studio is making it out to be. It's got cute and cuddly creatures and a G rating, but you may want to watch this one alone before popping corn for the entire family as some of the scenes can be a bit scary for the little ones. That said, you should definitely check it out. African Cats is a beautiful movie.
Product Details
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