African Cats

Parents say
Based on 23 reviews
Kids say
Based on 27 reviews
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
African Cats
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this nature documentary features some breathtaking cinematography of the African savannah, but despite its G rating, there are some potentially upsetting scenes of animals hunting and dying. Nothing is overtly bloody, but the disappearance (and implied death) of a couple of cubs and the death of a central character is likely to disturb young children and squeamish adults. Children will learn about the African savanna, how cheetahs and lions differ in terms of their family groups and hunting styles, and how mothers -- even in other species -- are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their babies.
Community Reviews
African Cats!
Report this review
Too upsetting
Report this review
What's the Story?
In Disneynature's third feature-length wildlife documentary, filmmakers Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey follow two animal mothers living in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve: Sita, a cheetah trying to raise five newborn cubs by herself, and Layla, an older lioness with a 6-month-old cub called Mara. Fothergill and Scholey's team spent two and a half years following the AFRICAN CATS to focus on the two felines as they overcome daily threats and dangers to raise their cubs. Layla is helped by her sister lionesses and an alpha lion, whereas Sita must fend for herself and keep the predatory hyenas and unrelated male cheetahs away from her cubs. If they're successful and lucky, both mothers will usher their offspring to young adulthood.
Is It Any Good?
Nature documentaries can be broken down into two key elements -- the photography and the narration/story arc -- and the images here are extraordinary. Veteran wildlife specialists Owen Newman and Sophie Darlington were the directors of photography for this film, and it's obvious they patiently waited for just the right shots. We get the expected hunting scenes that show Sita running with such beauty and elegance that you don't really care that she's about to down an equally elegant but not quite as fast gazelle. But there's also a lovely, domestic touch to the smaller scenes, whether it's of Sita's three remaining cubs playing with each other or standing their ground against bullying hyenas, or of the pride of lionesses and their cubs lounging on a flat rock and grooming each other.
As for the narration, Samuel L. Jackson tackles it with precision and heart. The script he reads is heavy-handed with the humanizing -- painting the mothers in such a way that we all think of them as the "good guys" and their animal kingdom enemies as the "bad guys." But it works for the purposes of this story, to make everyone think of the universality of motherhood and how even our counterparts in the wild will stop at nothing to get their kids safely to self sufficiency. Food, shelter, experience -- these are things that all mothers try to provide, and watching Sita and Layla do it with their feline kidlets is a satisfying, if at times heartbreaking, endeavor.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of wildlife documentaries. What attracts families to nature films?
Does humanizing the animals in movies like this one make them more or less likable? Is it right that some are depicted as "good" and some as "evil"? Aren't all the animals just acting like animals?
Some criticize G-rated documentaries for depicting the way that animals hunt and (in some scenes) die. Do you think that kind of content is appropriate for all audiences?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 22, 2011
- On DVD or streaming: October 4, 2011
- Cast: Samuel L. Jackson
- Director: Alastair Fothergill
- Studio: Disneynature
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: January 6, 2023
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love animals
Themes & Topics
Browse titles with similar subject matter.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate