Napoleon and Samantha

The human age ranges from birth to twelve years. The protagonist loses his grandfather, his only role model, and seeks to establish a new sense of belonging and family. The film serves to affirm that family is a social system to be built, rather than a conventional structure. In this case, friendship becomes a primary resource for dealing with fear, isolation, and hardship, and the relationship with the young man also becomes a bridge between childhood and the adult world.

Napoleon (Johnny Whitaker) is an eleven-year-old boy who lives with his grandfather (Will Geer) in a small provincial town. After taking on the responsibility of caring for an old circus lion in the yard, entrusted to him by the now-retired clown (Vito Scotti), his grandfather dies. Napoleon, not wanting to end up in an orphanage, decides to venture to the nearby mountain with his friend Samantha (Jodie Foster) to live with his friend Danny (Michael Douglas).

Bernard McEveety's direction (6.0) is simple and straightforward, with a realistic yet reassuring tone; Stewart Raffill's screenplay (6.0) seeks to captivate a younger audience, presenting two easily identifiable characters and highlighting nature as a space of freedom, but also of risk; technically (7.0), Monroe P. Askins' cinematography beautifully enhances the American mountain landscape, with warm, bright colors, while Buddy Baker's (nominated) score accompanies the emotions without ever overwhelming them; the cast (7.0) is highly professional despite their young age, thanks to Whitaker's spontaneity and Foster's expressiveness.

Best moment: Johnny returns home from school and immediately goes to his grandfather to tell him about his morning, but the grandfather is asleep, calls him louder, and realizes now he's totally alone. A must-see for fans of children's drama and adventure.

Disney family offering that was(if I am correct)Jodie Foster's first feature film appearance. Plot concerns Napoleon(Johnny Whittaker)who flees to the hills with his pet lion Major and friend Samantha(Foster)after his grandfather dies, assisted by college-dropout-turned-shepherd Michael Douglas. The drama comes from Napoleon and Samantha encountering various dangers in the hills of the Rockies, including the expected wild animals and a run-in with a dangerous pedophile(euphemistically referred to as a "psycho" in the film). A little unusual, for the film's dealings with death(the only human death I can recall in a Disney live-action film)and the above-mentioned child molestor, and not a little moving.

Determined boy runs away from his rural community rather than risk being placed in an orphanage, taking along his pet lion and little girlfriend for a journey through rugged terrain. Family film from Disney with nature-adventure asides never really gets going--mostly due to that sleepy lion, ambling through the picture as if drugged. The kids (talented Johnny Whitaker from "Family Affair" and wise-talking Jodie Foster in her first film role) are both good, even though they occasionally struggle with their delivery. Michael Douglas has fine, if colorless, supporting role as a well-meaning hippie-type who comes to their rescue. Younger children might enjoy it. ** from ****

A waste.

I appreciate the darker story tone that 'Napoleon and Samantha' attempts to provide, sadly none of it really sticks and it comes out as a slow paced, dull would-be adventure.

The cast features two very familiar names - Michael Douglas and Jodie Foster. The latter doesn't have much to do, while Douglas plays an oddly written character. Johnny Whitaker, fresh off the lovely 'The Biscuit Eater', is alright. Will Geer's role has a lot of heart, if not much else.

They try to cram so many different elements into this, to the point it feels overcrowded and unrefined. There's a lion in the film, for practically no reason whatsoever. As well as unexplored plot lines and characters. Without wanting to give anything away, it's all very uneven.

A cool and intriguing concept, just not fulfilled one bit. Disappointing.

This movie could use a reboot and a sequel more or less. Because it sometimes make me sad to see Napoleon's grandfather passed away during the movie, just wish there could have been a new love interest for Danny though.

And I love the way Major the Lion was very tameful and gentle as a house cat, it got me thinking about what would happen if there is going to be a reboot and a sequel included just to honor that movie. Because of Disney, I always wondered what it would be like to make good people's dream come true and do things differently for the sake of Walt Disney Animation Studios someday.