|
''African Cats'' is a 2011 nature documentary film directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill about a pride of lions and a family of cheetahs trying to survive on the African savannah. The film was released theatrically by Disneynature on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.〔 The film is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson (Patrick Stewart in the UK release). A portion of the proceeds for the film were donated to the African Wildlife Foundation and their effort to preserve Kenya's Amboseli Wildlife Corridor. The film's initiative with the African Wildlife Foundation is named "See African Cats, Save the Savanna," and as of May 2, 2011, ticket sales translated into 50,000 acres of land saved in Kenya. ==Plot== ''African Cats'', referred to as a "true life adventure," tells the true story of two animal families living in the wild by using real-life footage. The film focuses on a young lion cub named Mara raised by her mother Layla, a mother cheetah named Sita who is raising five newborns, and Fang, the leader of Mara and Layla′s pride, defending his family from a banished lion named Kali. 〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.joblo.com/upcomingmovies/movies.php?id=7296 )〕 With so many species competing for space and food in the savanna, the animals must figure out what′s the best way to survive. The film begins by introducing Sita, a cheetah who lives in the vast plains of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, in Kenya, and has just given birth to five cubs to take care of. Then we see Mara, a six-month-old lion cub, with her mother Layla, who both belong to the River pride, which lives in the south of the park. The pride′s leader is named Fang, an old male lion, who has a distinctive broken tooth because of an earlier fight. In the north of the Maasai Mara, Sita and her cubs coexist with another lion pride led by a large male named Kali, who wishes to expand his pride and territory by taking over Fang′s southern pride and territory, which however he cannot reach as the Pride Lands are divided by the crocodile infested river. Sita′s cubs are playing while Kali and one of his four sons are on patrol. Sita, seeing them as a serious danger to her cubs, goads them so as to lure them away. However, after the confrontation, the cubs have scattered. Sita desperately calls for them. As it gets darker, hyenas are seen and heard. In the morning, three of the five cubs return to Sita. Although she continues to call for the rest of them, it′s clear that they have been killed by hyenas. Layla was injured by a zebra′s kick while hunting. As the wildebeest begin to migrate to greener pastures, so does the River pride. However, due to her injury and old age, Layla has trouble keeping up. Mara stays alongside her mother and tries to help on her way. Soon, they begin to lose track of the pride. Knowing that Mara needs her family for her survival, Layla forces through her injury, and they soon find themselves within the River pride once more. As time passes, Sita′s cubs have thrived, and begin to show more of their cheetah nature. One day, a gang of three adult cheetah brothers roaming about zone in on Sita. Again, Sita finds herself having to divert attention from rivals so that they don′t find her cubs. However, being fellow cheetahs, they don′t tire as easily as lions do; and soon, the brothers separate Sita from her cubs. As they circle them, the cubs stand their ground and hiss at the bullies, meaning they have inherited their mother′s prowess and bravery. Before the cheetah brothers can do anything, a passing elephant chases them away – meaning that in the savanna, even bullies get bullied. Some time later, the river has lessened. Kali and one of his sons take advantage of it so they can cross and begin their assault on the River pride. They head towards the southern territory. Fang, upon seeing them approaching, runs for his life, but Layla doesn′t back away – knowing that Mara could be killed should the assault succeed, she fearlessly attacks the rivals. Soon, the other lionesses, inspired by Layla′s courage, join in the fight. Kali and his son are defeated, and return to the northern territory empty-handed. Victory completed, Fang returns, and life returns to usual for the pride as well. Meanwhile, hyenas approach Sita and her cubs, but the brave mother cheetah, having already lost two cubs to them, doesn′t back away; sure enough, she attacks them fearlessly, not letting them anywhere near her cubs. Finally, the hyenas give up the fight and leave – Sita′s bravery has kept the remaining cubs alive and free from danger. Layla was injured ever further during the fight. Seeing that she might not make it, on a rainy day – which the lions take advantage of to bond with each other –, for Mara′s sake, she goes to her sister Malayka – who has cubs of her own – and reconnects with her so as to maintain a spot in the pride for Mara. Once she sees that Mara is accepted by Malayka, Layla slips away from the pride to find a nice quiet place to die. As time goes by, Kali reunites with his four sons. Although they have shown signs of betrayal with ideas of dethroning him, Kali is still strong, and shows them that he's the boss and that only he will wear the crown. Together, they are the most powerful force in the land. They return for another assault. Upon seeing them, Fang runs, never to be seen or heard from again – if he is to ever return again, he′ll be shown no mercy. Kali takes over the pride and exiles Fang′s cubs, including Mara – now a young adult. Her male cousins are seen as the number one threat to Kali and his sons, so they hunt them down. Seeing that they can no longer stay within their pride, Fang′s male cubs have no choice but to cross the river, even though its level has grown and it′s infested with crocodiles. As they get near the northern bank, one of them is nearly caught in the jaws of a crocodile; nonetheless, they reach land unscathed. The lionesses refuse to admit Kali as their leader, the wound of losing their cubs still far too fresh in their minds. Mara, banished from her pride, tries to live on her own and fend for herself. However, she was banished before she was taught to hunt, and finds her first attempts at catching meals on her own, even small warthogs and especially big rhinos and buffaloes, humiliatingly unsuccessful. She learns that there are benefits in belonging to a pride. Soon the wildebeest return, and the lionesses begin to hunt for their new cubs – Kali′s offspring, having made peace with him and his sons. Mara successfully hunts and feasts. Soon after, she proves herself to the pride, and is at last welcomed back – Layla′s sacrifice for raising her cub was not in vain. Sita′s cubs are now young adults, and they′re thriving. They hone their hunting skills, they practice on a serval and a jackal, and even get to cross the river. Afterwards, they encounter hyenas then Kali′s pride, and learn to stand up to hyenas like a true brave cheetah does, and to avoid and outrun lions (instead of hunting them!). Finally, they successfully hunt an antelope for food. Sita, seeing that her cubs are now ready to forge their own path, leaves them and returns to the solitary life of a cheetah. At the end of the film, the narrator (Samuel L. Jackson in the US version, Patrick Stewart in the UK version) shows Mara and Sita′s cubs as the finest examples of a mother′s love. During the credits, it is shown that Sita has become one of the most successful cheetah mothers to roam the plains, that her cubs went their separate ways, that Mara has been accepted by her pride and is now ready for motherhood herself, that Kali still reigns supreme on both sides of the river, and that Fang is still missing. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「African Cats」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|