Jeanskynebu
the audience applauded
Senteur
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
Ariella Broughton
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
blueglas-159-114603
Viewers: Hello. This movie does not show up on Cable very often. It reminds me of a much more recent movie, The Ghost and the Darkness. Similar plot...but has historical truth, of the two lions of "Ranchipour". The British colonel was building a bridge over the river, and some 150 workers were eaten by the two lions. He killed the lions. Those two lions , "taxidermied", are on display at the Chicago Field House,Chicago, IL.
bree_thom
I admit I have not seen this movie in 3D, nor is it germane to my opinion. As another reviewer notes, this movie elevates "Plan Nine From Outer Space", which was made with virtually no budget, to "good movie" level.This studio movie features contract actor Robert Stack, who leaves me wondering why the studio retained him on contract. He was a horrible actor, with no more depth than a mannequin. In this movie, the stuffed lions used to cold-cock Barbara Britton,(the archetypal swooning, cumbersomely-dressed white-woman-in-peril), had more animation than Stack. Or Britton.But moving on, this movie is about rogue man-eating lions. Er, lions in the wild eat moving mammals including men, so this was already a silly premise. But this "Kenya", obviously filmed on a Hollywood backlot (I recognize the area), features an African-less Africa. By that I mean, there are no Black Africans save for the random Black toddler who is eaten by the stuffed lions. The "African" slaves are all well-paid, self-sufficient, independent Sikhs! 1950's Hollywood sanitized film and TV by eliminating Blacks wherever possible. Apparently that included Africa. In this movie, "Africa" had automagically become the less-dark, ergo more acceptable India! I wonder how the previous reviewers missed this salient feature. Hm.What is there to recommend this movie? Well, perhaps as an example of bad acting, writing, plot, special effects, production values... It is a relic of what killed the movie industry in the 1950's and 1960's.Hint. It was not television.
GUENOT PHILIPPE
Unlilke many other user comments, I really appreciated this little adventure movie. I expected a corny film, boring and nasty, as so some Sam Newfield are, such Nabonga and White Pongo...Color is beautiful, actors adequate. The story gives you great excitement,and a pretty good climax. Of course, we did not Robert Stack in such a film. Butit doesn't spoil the whole.Many users seem not to note that film is based on a true story, actual events. For those who are familiar with contemporary movies, Stephen Hopkins made "Ghost and the Darkness" in 1996, and that's exactly the same story. But of course on a larger scale, with excellent actors ans more budget.In short, a good surprise for me. I recommend it for those who love B movies.Especially adventures ones shot in locations.Even with some stock shots...
bux
Bwana Devil is reputedly the first major studio, full length feature filmed entirely in the 3D process. Supposedly producer Oboler went to Africa to shoot a different movie, but after hearing the tale of two man-eating lions, terrorizing railway builders, decided on this one. It's a good story too, almost Hemmingway-like; fear, redemption, the great white hunter and all. It's the telling of the story that seems to drag, almost as though filming in the new process was too weighty for the crew. The action scenes are stiff, almost too staged. But these technical problems appear small in light of the film's dramatic conclusion.
