White Lion (2010)

According to the legend of the Shangaan, white lions are the messengers of the gods, but it has been years since one has been seen in their remote African valley. When a white lion is ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Swan

Writers:

Ivan Milborrow, Michael Swan

Stars:

Jamie Bartlett, John Kani, Thabo Malema

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jamie Bartlett	...	Richards
John Kani	...	Old Gisani
Thabo Malema	...	Young Gisani
A.J. van der Merwe	...	Nicalski
Brendan Grealy	...	Brooker
Ayrton Loureiro	...	Camping Son
David Clatworthy	...	Camping Dad
Jennifer Steyn	...	Camping Mother
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jason Kennett

Storyline

According to the legend of the Shangaan, white lions are the messengers of the gods, but it has been years since one has been seen in their remote African valley. When a white lion is miraculously born into that valley, a young Shangaan named Gisani, finds himself destined to protect this rare and magnificent creature at all costs. This young lion, whom will be known as Letsatsi, is cast from his pride and forced to embark upon a perilous journey of survival. Close to starvation, Letsatsi befriends Nkulu, an older lion and together they learn how to survive in the harsh African wilderness Gisani, who is watching over Letsatsi, takes a job as a tracker with a local hunter, who has his sights set on leading the hunt for this rare and magnificent white lion. Gisani, guided by fate, believes that he must find a way to prevent this tragedy from happening. When Nkulu is killed by a farmer, Letsatsi is forced once again to survive on his own. After many trials and tribulations he finally ...

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Plot Keywords:

lion | white lion | hunter | survival | journey | 

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Taglines:

Home is a Journey

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild action and brief smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 February 2010 (South Africa)

Also Known As:

Der weiße Löwe

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

ZAR 40,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Peru Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

Very nice

For the most part I enjoyed this movie very much. It is worth watching for the scenery alone (the visuals are easily worth 9/10). There are several areas where the retouched colors and CGI sky is blatantly obvious but it adds a larger-than-life feel to the savanna.

The story, unfortunately, is a mismatching of a folk tale and a Nat Geo documentary. The voice over technique works well enough but the narrator abruptly stops to interact with his audience. This causes the story to jerk between scenes. At the end of 90 minutes I felt like I had been watching for several hours... and not in a good way. Still, it is a tale of courage, strength, and loyalty, and the intended audience (kids) should enjoy it.

Note for parents: as I mentioned, "White Lion" plays a bit like a documentary; there is some raw footage in this film including lions' eating habits and territorial disputes. The themes of death and loss are also touched a few times, albeit briefly. You will want to watch this movie with your little ones so you can explain things to them. (Kids 12+ should have no trouble with it.) I will watch it with my 10-yr-old nieces to reinforce their studies, but the 4-yr-old will have to stick with Dora the Explorer for now.