Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

DeborahPainter855 George and Joy Adamson may not have been the first individuals to rehabilitate wild animals for release back into the wild, but they were certainly the first to garner world attention and inspire several hit books and a magnificent film.The beautiful score by John Barry opens the film and carries the film-goer into the world of Kenyan game warden George Adamson and wife Joy, a seemingly idyllic world at first glance. They have problems, however, trying to maintain a realistic approach to wildlife and its inevitable conflicts with human desires and interests. In one such instance, they have to help lion cubs whose mother has been killed. (Minor spoiler) They find homes in captivity for all but one, the smallest, whom they have named Elsa. George's supervisor says Elsa cannot stay with them and keeps setting deadlines for her to go to a zoo. Instead, the Adamsons make the momentous decision to teach her to be a wild lioness. It is a difficult and emotional experience for them.Even if you don't care for big cats one way or another, you will enjoy this fine film worth sharing with the whole family.

ironhorse_iv Be born free to watch this movie, probably more well-known for its music than the movie itself. It Composer John Barry would win "Best Original Score" and "Title Song" in 1966 Oscar for this film. It was just that great of a song. The theme song has this epic western style to it to the point; it can be mistaken for a Western theme song, if the viewer heard the song first, than seeing the movie. At first glance, first time viewers might think of this as National Geo special documentary, but it's more than that. 'Born Free' is the true story based on the book 'Born Free', directed by James Hill, a Game Hunter George Adamson (Bill Travers) known to the natives as 'Baba ya Simba' which means 'Father of Lions" in Swahili and his wife (Virginia McKenna) living in Africa, was forced to kill a man-eating lion. It becomes clear that they would have to adopt his children for the young cubs to stay alive. Two of the cubs are sent to zoos around the world, and the other Elsa became their house pet. It wasn't until Elsa became a full –grown lioness, that the Adamson realize that they must do what is right for them, and set her free to learn to survive on its own by training her, but she might be too tame to live on her own. The movie has its charm, and was made with lot of love toward animals, to the point, you feel sad was animal characters like Pattie because they are brought up as family members to the Adamson. Funny moments like the Adamson trying to get Elsa a date and a warthog beating up a lion was a laugh. The first part of the movie, the opening might be a little bit disturbing for younger viewers due to it dealing with deaths of both human and animal. The rest of the movie is a coming to age story for the lion Elsa and PG clearly is the right rated for the film. The movie tries to have a sum-plot focusing on George's illness with malaria, hunters/poachers, an elephant stampede and rogue lions. The animal trainers were very good, and the way the animal act in the film is clearly brilliant… both in a playfulness matter, and in scenes of great danger. Many hard hours of animal training went to creating this short beautiful film. The movie was follow up with 'Live Free', a sequel to the book and movie that reveals more about Elisa's life in the wild. The movie leaves its viewers of a happy ending, which sadly didn't pan out for both the Adamson and Elsa in real life, but it does make the film watchable… and lives the audience wanting to learn more about big cats and Africa itself.

Jackson Booth-Millard From director James Hill (Worzel Gummidge), I was very up for seeing both adorable and ferocious animals in a film based on a true story, and I obviously knew the title song of. Basically Joy Adamson (Golden Globe nominated Virginia McKenna) with her game warden husband George (Bill Travers) raiser three orphaned lion cubs. The two largest are sent away to Rotterdam Zoo, but the youngest of the litter, Elsa the Lioness, stays with Joy and George as almost a domesticated pet. There is a point when Elsa is blamed for a stampede of elephants, but the boss John Kendall (Bond's Sir Frederick Gray, Geoffrey Keen) gives them three months to get Elsa ready to go into the wild. Joy, opposing the idea of putting Elsa into a zoo manages to pull through with the "training", and she does eventually let her go. A year later, Joy and George return to Kenya from England for a week and spend time with Elsa, who still recognises them, and is mother to three of her own cubs. Also starring Peter Lukoye as Nuru, Omar Chambati as Makkede and Bill Godden as Sam. McKenna and Travers as the only humans to focus on bring a lot of warmth to their characters, but of course the show is stolen by the cute and cuddly creatures. Also, the magnificent music by John Barry (some of it sounds very similar to Bond, which is quite cool) works fantastically, it is a wonderfully charming biographical wildlife adventure. It won the Oscars for Best Music for John Barry, and Best Song for the title song by Matt Monro (it was also nominated the Golden Globe), and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. It was number 66 on The 100 Greatest Family Films, and it was number 54 on The 100 Greatest Tearjerkers. Very good!

moonspinner55 A true story set in the African wild which plays like a wildlife fantasy: childless couple working in Kenya (he's a game warden who hunts ferocious animals) adopt three orphaned lion cubs and rear them like babies. When they start growing and becoming a household nuisance, two cubs are sent to a zoo but the runt of the litter stays with the couple--growing particularly close to the wife, who soon finds it hard to let go emotionally when the cub turns into a lioness and is ready for mating. Sloppily-made family film from a best-selling book isn't particularly expressive; director James Hill has no headier goal than to make this a heart-tugger, one designed to inspire lots of "aww"s from the impressionable. Yet the humans at the center of the story are benign and one-dimensional--they're just good-hearted people who seem to love overgrown kittens--while the wife's voice-over is in the spirit of a bedtime story (with careful warnings of what's coming up next). The photography is uneven and there isn't much excitement from the animals; Hill is so heartfelt and sentimental, he's turgid. Audiences were drawn to the heavily prevalent theme of letting loved ones go, making the film an effective tearjerker for kids and the young at heart. Hill received a nomination from the Director's Guild (!), while composer John Barry won Oscars for his score and for the popular title song, co-written with Don Black. **1/2 from ****