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Parents' Guide to

Cheetah

By Joly Herman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Disney live-action adventure with a few perilous moments.

Movie G 1988 83 minutes
Cheetah Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

Mixyplixl
Mixyplixl Adult
January 9, 2014
age 8+

Entertaining family movie... just beware of problematic messages

We really enjoyed this movie for the most part - beautiful scenery, nice portrayal of an American family adjusting to being in Africa, and of course raising a baby Cheetah! I also liked the children's friendship with a local tribal boy, that seemed very believable and real. However, there are two problems with the film: one, the children end up deciding to go off on their own at a key point in the film. All comes out OK, but the way it was presented, I don't think it was clear enough that they were really putting themselves in danger. Second, the very idea of being able to keep a wild animal as a pet is not one to encourage. It is always presented in the film that the cheetah ended up "completely tame," and we have all read news accounts of the troubles with that assumption. With a slightly older child, one can explain these issues and it's not a big deal.

This title has:

Educational value
1 person found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Teddy (Keith Coogan) and Susan (Lucy Deakins) join their parents in Kenya, where they are on a work assignment. Their parents expect the kids to miss their home in Los Angeles so badly that they will want to go home immediately. But the opposite proves to be true, especially when they meet Morogo (Colin Mothupi) a "tribal" boy who lives in the next village. Together they explore the wild surroundings and bring home a baby cheetah, whom they tame and call Duma. But when poachers get a whiff of Duma's domestication, they capture her and try to exploit her running ability in a race. Can Teddy and Susan save her before she is taken away forever?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

It's refreshing to see teenagers portrayed as being hungry for adventure and excited to be in a new environment. Life in tribal Africa has been pretty simplified here, but there are touches of truth in this tale, where culture clashes are concerned. Morogo's parents are not crazy about their son getting mixed up in the visiting American's drama. For good reason too -- Teddy and Susan put Morogo in harm's way.

Animal lovers will enjoy seeing all of the herds and flocks at play here. Cheetah lovers will cherish seeing Duma run and play and purr with her human friends. There is a happy ending to this story, which is a relief, once one realizes that the skins on the poacher's walls came from living, thriving animals of the wild.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what poaching is and how it affects wildlife. What dangers do animals like Duma really face?

  • Talk about the differences in the lives of the American kids and Morogo. How would Morogo's life be different if he lived in Los Angeles? How would the American kids handle living Morogo's life? What kinds of things change for Teddy and Susan when they arrive in Kenya?

Movie Details

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.

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