Duma (2005)

Xan and and his parents raise a motherless cheetah on their ranch in South Africa and, of course, grow quite attached to him. Dad and son make plans to return "Duma" to the wild but the father dies before they can do so. Mom decides that they will lease the ranch, move to the city -- putting Xan into a private school and Duma on a wildlife preserve. Neither Xan or Duma fare well during their short stint in the city, so Xan decides to take Duma back to the wild himself.

While I kinda like this movie, I'm also rather confused as to what its message is. It's an exciting adventure, to be sure, but a dangerously ill-advised one. Xan makes no preparation other than grabbing his dad's cycle (no extra gas, no food, little water, improper clothes) and leaves his mother uninforned and worried to death. Of course he makes it -- it's a family film -- but I kinda wish there'd been some long-term consequence. I don't know...a broken leg that doesn't set properly? Burned corneas resulting in blindness? I mean SOMEthing to let kiddies know that good intentions don't always triumph over stupidity.

Hmm...I rather doubt I'll be getting a job writing children's books any time soon.

B-