Malika the Lion Queen

Malika the Lion Queen is a wonderful documentary. My female German shepherd sat next to me and we watched it together. I was amazed at her determination and unwavering fixation with this documentary especially when the lions hunt at night. Perhaps the grey and white images at night were easier to make out. The female lions are definitely great hunters. Highly recommended documentary if you love Lions like I do.

Interesting story, but seems as much about belittling the male gender than about nature. While it's true that female lions do the hunting, the show uses this as an excuse to make negative blanket statements about males in general.

Also, I realize they've made a story out of footage of a lion pride from one female's point of view, but I found the narration irritating at times for being so presumptuous as to what the lions are thinking. It made me miss nature shows where the narrator simply narrated observations about the animals. We can all make assumptions about what an animal is thinking or feeling, and on the surface many are probably accurate in this show such as longing for touch or being hungry since we can surmise that from mere observation. However, I'm going to go on a limb and say that I doubt female lions list "fighting the patriarchy" high on their priority list, which seems to be the main message presented here. I am a female, in case that matters, and am so tired of entertainment coming with an agenda.

In conclusion, beautiful footage, but ripe with the divisive brainwashing so prevalent in entertainment today, unfortunately.

Interesting to read the reviews slamming this as "woke." Maybe learn about what a lions' pride is all about. Lionesses are the queens of the pride. Males have their place and, as stated, patrol to protect. They will also join a hunt but sometimes stay back and don't participate unless their strength and size are needed to help bring down larger prey.

The females, though, ARE the heart of the pride. Lions are the only cats with a social community and prizes can range from small to dozens. Within a pride, those females far outnumber the males. Young males must leave and go find their own territory as they mature.

So before you whinge about "oh gee another female empowerment drivel story," stop and realize... This is an actual female empowerment story from the dawn of time. And grow up, wake up, and learn something.

(Yes I hate to anthropomorphize an animal, but lions do communicate their feelings within a pride. They show affection, grief, fear, joy...)

This was truly an enjoyable movie. I would like to see future installments and follow the pride as they continue. Did they survive and thrive under new males? Are they part of the Sabi Sands prides or any of the prides in the Ngala region? Which males joined Malika and her mother and aunties? (I'm sure this was filmed over several years, and filming during 2020 would have been almost impossible.)

I recently got around to seeing this special that aired earlier in the year. It didn't seem all that interesting if it was going to be two hours, but there is a story to be told. Whether Angela Bassett really knew what was going on I can't say, but she did an admirable job telling us the story as if she was the lion being followed. Was it one lion? The females all looked alike to me.

The lions get to play, of course, and these scenes are as cute as if we were watched house cats raising kittens. But no one is feeding these cats except themselves. The males let the females to the work while they take charge of guarding the pride. That seems to be what I've been told is how these things work. And when an animal is brought down and eaten, it is real. No assurance that "no animals are harmed". This is nature. Some young kids won't be ready for that, but overall I think kids can watch this. There is, however, a tragedy and we are not subjected to the graphic truth. No young lions are being shown being harmed. Nevertheless, the narration indicates something terrible has happened, and the reactions and the absence of certain characters indicates this is true. Older lions are shown being hurt, but it's not graphic like with the predator-prey relationship.

This being Africa, there is great scenery. During a drought it does not look all that good, but droughts end.

Even when grown, the lions still know how to have fun. And then they have to get serious. And sometimes things get desperate. At least that's what we are told. If things weren't desperate, though, I guess it wouldn't look that way.

As much danger as the lions are shown to be in, one has to wonder about the photographers. Zoom lenses help, and films like this have been done for decades, but they really seemed to get too close to the action. Perhaps with editing, the photographers and editors were able to create situations that didn't really exist but were close enough to the reality, and safer than actually following the real action.

I don't remember enough about nature specials from when I was a child, or films we were shown in school, to make a comparison to other films or programs. And I don't watch cable channels unless I am staying in a motel. And not channels with nature shows at all. I can only speak for this program. It makes a good introduction to lion behavior for those not familiar with it. Assuming, of course, the males are really jerks.

This movie is a refreshing take on a classic tale. Instead of focusing on the "King of the Jungle", it focuses on the life journey of a lioness in South Africa and highlights the important role she and her female family members play in keeping their pride strong while maintaining balance within the ecosystem.

I have seen reviews criticizing the movie for adding a human voice, and thereby human assumptions, to what the main character may be thinking and feeling. However, I feel the producers were aiming to make a film that was educational, engaging for people of all ages, and empowering for girls and young women! Likewise, I have seen some folks claiming that the film "bashes men" and promotes feminism. To this, I would respond by saying I believe the second half of the statement is true and the movie simply shares facts (some of which may indeed paint males in an unflattering way, but are still true). I feel it is trying to promote some critical thinking about society in general, using lions as the messengers.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie! It may be a little graphic for young children, as it shows realistic hunting scenes, but I think it could start some great conversations when watched with an adult.