An Elephant Called Slowly

Keen to return to Africa, 'Born Free' actors Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna accept an invitation to mind a friend's rural property in Kenya but are surprised when a trio of elephants join them in this offbeat follow-up of sorts to the iconic 1966 hit. While the film is laden with hit-and-miss humour (including a temperamental, rundown truck), 'An Elephant Called Slowly' is a curious exercise in defying narrative expectations with Travers and McKenna playing exaggerated versions of themselves who keep talking about their experiences filming 'Born Free'. The pair also dual narrate the film at times, and the movie is at its most interesting when the pair argue over details and terminology while narrating. Promising as all this might sound, the central story is never that enticing. Not once do the pair ever seem in real danger (even when a large rhinoceros walks up to them) and the repeated attempts to derive humour from the elephants detract from the other wildlife on display. The most intense scene of the film has the pair playing spectators as a leopard eyes a tame impala and its baby, ready to pounce, and yet far more screen time is dedicated to such shenanigans as the elephants getting into the bath water while Travers is cleaning himself. The film does boast some nifty animated opening credits and the comedy streak gives 'An Elephant Called Slowly' slightly more edge than 'Born Free', however, it remains a difficult film to recommend without some caution. Africa has, however, rarely looked so inviting a place as it does here.

I was starting to watch this film, shortly after it started and liking nature fils, kept looking. I was pleasantly surprised, as the film showed the african nature in a interesting, quite personal and often funny way.

Bill and Ginny are invited by a naturalist friend to take care of his home in Africa while he is away, and they find themselves adopted by three orphan elephants an end, don't want to leave this paradise any more. By living there, they get in contact with a lot of animals and they have to find a way to live with them, hence they need to understand them. Of course they have at first all sorts of funny ideas and prejudices, but slowly discover the real truth through all sorts of funny incidents. All this set before the picturesque landscape of kenya, this makes truly a film to watch for the whole family or everybody who wants to have an enjoyable saturday or sunday arvo. Oh, i forgot. The main character is poly-poly (or slowly-slowly), an adorable 5 year young elephant that follows the couple around like a dog. I really like this film! Enjoy.

AN ELEPHANT CALLED SLOWLY is the last and least of the three Bill Travers/Virginia McKenna wildlife movies, following on from BORN FREE and RING OF BRIGHT WATER. It follows an odd template of having the two actors essentially playing themselves and recreating their real-life adventures for the camera, albeit in various scripted scenes.

There's more of a comic tone to this movie than there was in BORN FREE, although fans of that film will be delighted by cameo appearances from some old friends. And there's also more of an emphasis on comedy, although I have to say a lot of it does feel rather twee and dated and a bit forced compared to what came before; it's probably best that this was the last of the series.

Inevitably, the elephants steal the show, and the film is at its best when just sitting back and letting the wildlife entertain. Another plus is that Travers and McKenna have a real enthusiasm for their charges, and that enthusiasm easily transfers to the viewer. Watch out for another cameo from real-life wildlife expert George Adamson.