Better Late Then Never

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I thought I dreamt about these lions when I was a kid, but when I came to know about this film that made me realise I actually saw this film when I was a very young to remember anything. It was a few images remained in memory, that's how I tracked it. So while watching this now brought back those scary moments. Yep, I was scared like hell, like the character Kendall from it was. Childhood is like a dream, until we re-encounter those things we held, met, seen, which wakes up our memory after a long time and becoming adults.I really enjoyed watching it, because I love animals. But what I did not like was harming the animals. I don't think animals were harmed while making this film, and they even smartly censored story/scene that consists harming/killing them. Actually the film was inspired by the real story, in that, the animals were killed and that is what this film depicted, yet disappoints from that perspective. The time has changed, now it is different, we learnt our lesson, so I hope we focus on protecting this magnificent animal to be born free and to be wild.The Africa was very beautifully portrayed. One of the best films on the wild animal theme I've ever seen. It was a documentary style narration with a little story from the human couple. Hats off to the real Joy and George Adamson. It won a couple of Oscars in the category of music and song. But I think it deserved more than that. I can't believe it is rated PG, but I scared watching it as a kid and I believe the young children with the awareness of the true nature of the lions would do the same. But still highly recommended for all ages. We have now 'Duma', 'Two Brothers' and many more, but this film is something special and you will know it after a watch.8/10

Born Free has an interesting post colonial undertone of 1960s Kenya. Elsa the lion symbolizes the British controlled colony and the white settlers in Kenya (Joy and George) symbolize the British who realize that it would be wrong to free Kenya/Lions without proper training and preparation to survive in the real world. It is very revealing that the white people in the film are the ones who know how to train the lions and take care of them and the blacks in the film are basically followers and do not have the ability to raise and care for the animals. We see the same logic in the history of colonization. White Europeans realize that only THEY know what is best for Africa and the Africans are simply expected to follow. And what's the deal with George and his malaria??? Not sure what the purpose is in bringing that up. The trailer is hilarious!!! They keep saying the lions live in the jungle!!! I think that was to appeal to the audience ignorant of Africa--probably most Americans in the 60s did think Africa was one big jungle.

(Mild Spoilers) The true and unforgettable story of Elas the Lioness that the film "Born Free" is based on. After being rescued brought up and nurtured with the milk of human kindness in Kenya by British game warder George and his wife Joy Adamson, Bill Travers & Virgina McKenna, a grown up Elsa was later set free in the wild to live free and fend for herself. Having her parents shot and killed when they attacked game warder George Adamson Elsa together with her two orphan sister lion cubs were adopted by Adamson and his wife Joy as family pets. It's when Joy's beloved pet Rock Hyrax Pati passed away that she became very attached to the cute lovable as well as mischievous Elas. By then Elsa together with her sisters were starting to get a bit out of hand in tearing up the Adamson house and its surroundings. Slated to be sent to live out her life together with her two siblings at the Rotterdam Zoo in Holland George makes the fateful decision, with his wife's Joy urging, to keep Elas-the runt of the litter-and later train her to live on her own in the wild as nature intended her to. Something that up until that time has never be done with a domesticated lion and could very probably end up cosing Elsa-in being unable to either care hunt and fend for herself-her life!Touching and heart warming film with Joy and George Adamson trying to get Elsa back to nature and at one point almost killing her by doing it. Wanting Elsa to live free as God and natured intended her to was not as easy as at first thought by Joy who couldn't accept to idea of her living out the rest of her life as a caged animal in a zoo. Step by step Elas got the hang of it in being left out in the wild by the Adamsons sometimes for days at a time until she finally was able to care for herself and live free like she was meant to. In the end he final test for Elsa was her being sent out to be accepted by her fellow lions in the wild. It's there where she was challenged by a fierce alpha lioness who felt Elas was a threat to her standing in the pride. In what look like a fight to the death Elsa held her own with the lioness showing, both Joy & Bill, that she indeed can survive the brutal law of the jungle: Survival of the Fittest!***SPOILERS*** The very moving conclusion of the movie "Born Free' has both Joy and George returning to Kenya to see it their Elas is still there and, after not seeing her for days, get the biggest surprise of their lives! Not only has Elas survived she's now a proud mom with a litter of little Elsa's of her very own!

A true story set in the African wild which plays like a wildlife fantasy: childless couple working in Kenya (he's a game warden who hunts ferocious animals) adopt three orphaned lion cubs and rear them like babies. When they start growing and becoming a household nuisance, two cubs are sent to a zoo but the runt of the litter stays with the couple--growing particularly close to the wife, who soon finds it hard to let go emotionally when the cub turns into a lioness and is ready for mating. Sloppily-made family film from a best-selling book isn't particularly expressive; director James Hill has no headier goal than to make this a heart-tugger, one designed to inspire lots of "aww"s from the impressionable. Yet the humans at the center of the story are benign and one-dimensional--they're just good-hearted people who seem to love overgrown kittens--while the wife's voice-over is in the spirit of a bedtime story (with careful warnings of what's coming up next). The photography is uneven and there isn't much excitement from the animals; Hill is so heartfelt and sentimental, he's turgid. Audiences were drawn to the heavily prevalent theme of letting loved ones go, making the film an effective tearjerker for kids and the young at heart. Hill received a nomination from the Director's Guild (!), while composer John Barry won Oscars for his score and for the popular title song, co-written with Don Black. **1/2 from ****