The Last Lions

Saw 'The Last Lions' for three primary reasons. One was because of my love for nature documentaries and there are so many wonderful ones out there. Two was because lions have always fascinated me and it has always been easy for me to sympathise with their increasingly difficult plight. Being a big fan of Jeremy Irons, oddly enough ever since his iconic voice work for Scar in 1994's 'The Lion King' also was a big attraction.

'The Last Lions' did not disappoint. This is how to make a documentary that tells a emotionally wide-ranging and dramatic story and has animals worth rooting for, while mixing them with an uncompromising approach to the material, facts that educate and makes one think and affected emotionally and beautifully written and delivered narration. Actually think that 'The Last Lions' is one of the best examples of this mix in documentaries, some documentaries have failed such as 2019's 'Serengeti' and the recent DisneyNature 'Elephant' in this aspect but this one is an absolute winner.

Is it flawless? Not quite. The sequence between the mother and wounded cub went on for too long and was unnecessarily sadistic, even for a documentary that hardly sugar-coated its subject.

While loving the narration writing on the whole, we didn't need to be reminded so many times about what emotions the big cats were feeling. That did feel over-explanatory at times.

However, there is so much to recommend about 'The Last Lions'. It looks wonderful, with absolutely stunning scenery and photography worthy of cinema that adds so much to the emotions of many scenes. The music has a real presence and heft, especially in the more intense scenes, yet to me it didn't come over as too overwrought or like it was trying too hard to be anything more than needed. There are sympathetic parts in more intimate scenes.

Personally loved how the narration was written, it wasn't corny, it wasn't patronising (on the whole), it wasn't sugary. Instead it was uncompromisingly to the point (rightly so) but also honest, poetic and actually didn't take itself too seriously. It has a wide emotional range and has a good mix of the familiar and not so familiar. Irons' unmistakable gravitas-filled voice is a perfect fit, purring with authority and sincerity while clearly in awe and emotion over the material. While completely understanding why people feel that 'The Last Lions' to them came over as too dramatic and too humanised and that both were exaggerated, to me that wasn't the case apart from one already discussed sequence. The animals are so easy to root for here, their heart-breaking story really resonating, and feel incredibly real.

Ma Di Tau is a lionness every parent will identify with with a truly powerful story, the most rootable lionness on film since Elsa from 'Born Free'. The storytelling pulls no punches, appropriate actually seeing how the welfare of lions all the time has become increasingly dangerous, and absolutely heart-breaking, shocks and tears guaranteed throughout. Not just the plight of Ma Di Tau but also the quite chilling portrayal of unseen humans. Nothing cutesy or fuzzy about it, and nothing is sugar-coated or manipulative in my view. Despite being not an easy watch, there is definitely a glimmer of hope and it does leave one thinking hard about making a difference.

Overall, truly great. 9/10

I cried when i saw this movie....it really brought me to tears....a must see.

It is impossible not to love this movie - one minute it will make you laugh out loud, only to break your heart in the next and it will make you keep your breath in amazement for all of 88 minutes it lasts. Mother Nature proves once again that it can effortlessly best even the best film directors, if only someone can manage to be bothered with filming the great spectacle of life in the wild. Huge thanks must be given to the Joubert couple for this movie. Oh, and yes, having Jeremy Irons as narrator was a stroke of genius!

I was one of the fortunate few who were introduced today to this cinematic dreamscape of Botswana and the incredible life of one brave lioness. The premiere in Houston, TX was presented by National Geographic and the audience was also treated to a Q&A session with the actual film makers -- Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Quite an honor and special event offered to the contributors of the Big Cats initiative where the donations help dedicated researchers and animal conservationists find solutions to the grave threats facing lions, tigers, leopards, and other big cats.

This documentary provided scenes of survival that even this Big Cat Diary watcher has never witnessed. Amazing truths of the brutal life in the wild that these creatures face every day in Africa. Incredible scenes of the adaptation of the kings and queens of the jungle and their unwavering dedication to the protection of their young.

The musical score and cinematography, together with the slightly subdued drama beautifully presented by Jeremy Irons made this a truly riveting experience that I will never forget and, for which I am proud to be a continued supporter.

This is a must see for animal lovers.

I walked into this movie somewhat by chance but I had heard the interview the film makers had done with Terry Gross on NPR. And I was very surprised that despite a constant narrative by the great Jeremy Irons, this film works. The question remains-can we take the humanizing of wild animals too far? The answer is, probably not, because humans NEED this point of view to develop empathy for these ferocious beasts. At least this is the point of view of the makers of this beautifully filmed and surprising documentary. What I find missing is more about the ugliness of the human condition, bent on every type of destruction of the wild, promoting guns and hunting like this is some type of sport, and a culture everywhere that promotes economies built on destructive and deadly consequences. But that is probably another film and another day. Here we have a meditation of nature, its cruelties, pathos and sheer beauty that you will never forget. Don't miss this one.