African Cats
Disneynature | Release Date: April 22, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttApr 19, 2011
The cinematography and editing are as superb as the film's feline stars are photogenic and heroic. Read full review
88
Orlando SentinelRoger MooreApr 20, 2011
Almost every shot is a postcard-perfect African vista, and every animal shown in majestic close-up. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumApr 22, 2011
Not coincidentally, African Cats opens on Earth Day. Meeting these magnificent fellow creatures might be a fine way to celebrate. Read full review
80
VarietyAndrew BarkerApr 19, 2011
The film captures a wealth of spectacular and wrenching conflicts, and even if its ability to spin a story out of the footage falls somewhat short of the gold standard set by "March of the Penguins," it's nonetheless a remarkably cohesive piece of work. Read full review
75
Washington PostSandie Angulo ChenApr 23, 2011
Ultimately, this is a universal story about how these wild mothers, like their human counterparts, sacrifice again and again - all to make sure their children are happy, healthy and well fed. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenApr 22, 2011
No doubt, life is tough in the wild but, this being a Disney flick, it's loving too and even comes with a kiddie-friendly narrative that's easy to summarize and hard to dispute. Read full review
75
New York PostLou LumenickApr 22, 2011
Kids will love African Cats, which is full of "aw" moments. Their parents will appreciate that narrator Samuel L. Jackson keeps things from getting too schmaltzy in this true-life depiction of the circle of life. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia PuigApr 21, 2011
This is Disneynature's third and best release, after 2009's "Earth" and 2010's "Oceans." With its compelling narrative of survival, it will probably be the one that most enthralls audiences. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyApr 21, 2011
Though African Cats is G-rated, scenes of animals chowing down on other animals are not for the faint of heart or delicate of stomach. I don't think it's suitable for those under 6, and they should be prepared for real animal behavior. But it's deeply involving and primally moving. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinApr 21, 2011
Despite its family-friendly trappings, "Cats" is largely serious stuff; deliberately paced, thematically dark and often wistfully told, with enough moments of survival-oriented tension and dread to question its G rating. Read full review
70
Village VoiceNick SchagerApr 19, 2011
That visual beauty helps compensate for a script that wastes no opportunity for heartstring tugging, often in the form of adorable tykes playing with each other and cuddling with their elders in close-up. Read full review
70
Boxoffice MagazinePete HammondApr 19, 2011
Directors Keith Scholey (who also wrote the narration) and Alastair Fothergill spent nearly three years capturing this remarkable footage, and have edited it judiciously with an eye to entertainment. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTom RussoApr 21, 2011
Scholey, Fothergill, and crew do impressive work, but we're also reminded that wild animals don't know from cues, marks, and scripts. That's part of what makes them so compelling. Read full review
60
Total FilmNeil SmithApr 16, 2012
It's a must see for fans of roar footage. Read full review
55
MovielineStephanie ZacharekApr 21, 2011
Mostly, though, African Cats is extremely tactful about the truly harsh stuff that goes down in the world of nature. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleAmy BiancolliApr 21, 2011
May be Disney's most pointedly feminist effort since "Mulan." Read full review
50
The New York TimesRachel SaltzApr 21, 2011
At one point the lions make a meal of a lovely young zebra they've just killed. That spelled the end for the little boy sitting next to me. "I'm too scared," he said, and he dragged his mom out of the theater. Sorry, kid, it's a jungle out there, even in Disneynature. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenApr 27, 2011
This Earth Day release has honorable intentions, but it imbues the animals with human emotions and motives, which only muddies our understanding of these ferocious feline species. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierApr 22, 2011
African Cats, while often adorable and at times gripping, is more of a TV-ready experience. Read full review
40
Time OutKeith UhlichApr 19, 2011
Since this is a House of Mouse production, sentimental order must inevitably be grafted onto nature's pitiless chaos. The cornball voiceover ascribes human wants and desires to the animals. Read full review
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