Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I've voiced my displeasure at the current state of Disney movies before and pointed out how vastly different they are in the 21st Century to movies that were made as recently as the 90s.Reese Witherspoon plays Nonnie Parker and Ethan Embry her reluctant friend Harry. Both kids are living with their parents in rural Africa when their home is attacked by Ivory poachers. With their bushman friend Xhabbo as a guide the kids take off across the Kalahari desert to reach the safety of the coast and nearest town, while the poachers plan to kill off their only witnesses.A Far Off Place opens with the massacre of a herd of elephants. The killers themselves are then mercilessly gunned down by supporting hero Col. Theron. Would Disney DARE allow a scene like this in the 21st Century? Look at the quality of Tim Allen's The Shaggy Dog and you'll find your answer. For any family-orientated movie it takes some nerve to open with killing such as this but even 16-year-old Nonnie herself is at ease yielding a rifle and doesn't hesitate to blow-up bad guys.The African desert scenery is gorgeous and director Mikael Salomon (who also made the underrated Hard Rain) fills the movie with lovely cinematography. The dunes, the blue sky, the night sky...it all makes you wish for a sunny holiday.A Far Off Place (a combination of two novels "A Story Like the Wind" and "A Far Off Place" by Laurens Van der Post) is not a well known movie and is quite hard to find, but it's worth hunting down. A shame that such a good movie has fallen off the radar.

There's only so much disneyfication one can stomach -- even with the best of intentions. This story of two teenagers and a bushman trekking 2000 km across the Kalahari when the young people survive a massacre that kills their families way exceeded my tolerance. The young man, a city slicker who appears to have never walked further than from his TV to his skateboard, endures the ordeal in hiking boots without so much as a swollen foot. The bushman happily takes a month or two off from feeding his own family to escort the duo across the desert. Of course it goes without saying that everyone remains completely chaste, nobody smells bad, and coiffures get only minimally (and artfully) messed up. Ethan Embry and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom have have continued and advanced steadily as actors up to the present, do the best they can with an impossible script. With just a wee bit of realism, this could have been a worthwhile adventure.

I saw this movie for the first time on the Disney channel about 6 years ago. This is one of my favorite movies. I love Reese Witherspoon and her portrayal of the young girl was superb. The beginning of the movie draws you in as you see how a young boy from the US trys to cope without modern technology and how Nonnie despised him. I followed her emotions throughout the story as she slowly warms up to him and was deeply satisfied with the conclusion. Both children had lost their parents and the tragedy had drawn them together. The love birds were a nice touch. The poor things had a wild ride when the children were hugging at the end. I recommend this film to my friends and their children. Even though I have heard it is a "copy" of another story called,"Walkabout" or something like this, having never seen that movie, this one stands on it's own as a very adventurous tale. I like to watch it at least twice a year and have recently purchased it on DVD.

This story has so much knowledge and truth behind it, it's amazing. Reese is very good in this movie, and it's one of her best films ever. She is amazing & she is smart in this movie. Staying strong and surviving is harder than TV shows, and this movie teaches us so much. That friends and family is more important than anything, and we can make it through difficult times if we just stick together and stay strong. This film is great, and I respect Reese alot more than what I already did now. She should be proud to have portrayed such an emotional and well-rounded role. I'm sure she is proud. This film is great, the acting is cool, and it's emotional. But it's good family fun, or maybe just fun for the Reese fanatic like me.