'Duma' is a poignant tale of a young South African lad's devotion to his pet cheetah and that can easily be enjoyed by both adults and young children alike. It doesn't pander to infants in the audience, relying on good story-telling, engaging character interaction and beautiful scenery to set the scene for a thoroughly delightful film.
In this film, we follow the adventures of twelve-year-old Xan, a child raised on a small farm in remote South Africa and whose best friend is Duma, a cheetah he found as a tiny cub. Life is good for boy and cheetah until Xan's father takes ill then dies, forcing him and his mother to relocate to the city in a move that would condemn Duma to an animal reserve. However, Xan is determined to follow his father's plans to return Duma to the wild and embarks on a journey across the planes of South Africa with his beloved cheetah by his side. Along the way, he befriends mysterious, and possibly treacherous, drifter Rip and Mashaka the bush baby.
Alexander Michaeletos, who played Xan, is a very natural young actor and captures the heart of his character depicting the boy's unflinching love for Duma as well as his underlying pain at the loss of his beloved father. Eamonn Walker also delivers a great performance as gruff Rip, leaving you wondering about his motives in regards to Xan and Duma until he finally shows his true colours. And, of course, the animals themselves deserve much credit! Mashaka the bush baby was just adorable as was the big-hearted Duma, who really seemed to have a bond with young Michaeletos. I also loved how they included Duma's sound effects, bringing home just how cheetahs are like over-grown house cats with the way he mewed and purred away.
The wonderful thing about 'Duma' is there is nothing cutesy or pretentious about it and that is refreshing. It doesn't rely on silly jokes or overly-precocious kids to sell its story. It is just an endearingly honest film about how friendship can transcend species and one boy's journey both across Africa and across the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Highly recommended for animal lovers who want something a bit different from Hollywood kiddie flicks.
In this film, we follow the adventures of twelve-year-old Xan, a child raised on a small farm in remote South Africa and whose best friend is Duma, a cheetah he found as a tiny cub. Life is good for boy and cheetah until Xan's father takes ill then dies, forcing him and his mother to relocate to the city in a move that would condemn Duma to an animal reserve. However, Xan is determined to follow his father's plans to return Duma to the wild and embarks on a journey across the planes of South Africa with his beloved cheetah by his side. Along the way, he befriends mysterious, and possibly treacherous, drifter Rip and Mashaka the bush baby.
Alexander Michaeletos, who played Xan, is a very natural young actor and captures the heart of his character depicting the boy's unflinching love for Duma as well as his underlying pain at the loss of his beloved father. Eamonn Walker also delivers a great performance as gruff Rip, leaving you wondering about his motives in regards to Xan and Duma until he finally shows his true colours. And, of course, the animals themselves deserve much credit! Mashaka the bush baby was just adorable as was the big-hearted Duma, who really seemed to have a bond with young Michaeletos. I also loved how they included Duma's sound effects, bringing home just how cheetahs are like over-grown house cats with the way he mewed and purred away.
The wonderful thing about 'Duma' is there is nothing cutesy or pretentious about it and that is refreshing. It doesn't rely on silly jokes or overly-precocious kids to sell its story. It is just an endearingly honest film about how friendship can transcend species and one boy's journey both across Africa and across the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Highly recommended for animal lovers who want something a bit different from Hollywood kiddie flicks.