Very well executed

Very Cool!!!

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Based largely on E. A. Ritter's novel, using diaries from Henry Francis Fynn (who is credited as providing medical care to Shaka after an attempt on his life from a member of a rival tribe) & James Stuart, this is a well told & well acted story. Shaka kaSenzangakhona's statesmanship and military prowess are some of the reasons he is rated as one of the greatest Zulu kings. Highly respected by his tribe this film shows the changes he was able to make in the way that the tribes performed in battle, he is known as a ruthless and effective warrior. Unfortunately this film is often hobbled by a cheesy score and some very poorly executed sound recording. The late Henry Cele was perfect for the role. Well worth watching if you can get by the results of budgetary constraints.

To begin with, the entire first episode should be ignored! It is so laughable terrible that you can't imagine that it was written and filmed by anyone who knew anything about film making. Truly AWFUL wooden script combined with wooden acting and the soundtrack that was surely lifted from a bad Bert Bacharach L.P., although I suspect that I'm insulting Bert. I watched it in amused awe at the waste of film and beautiful scenery.I watched the second episode so I could boast that I had suffered and sat through, the most awful drivel of a movie, but was amazed as the story finally turned from the European perspective to the story of the rise of Shaka Zulu.It was the feeling of authenticity of the filming that dumbfounded me. It is so rare that a movie set in Africa captures (as I imagine) the sense of raw, brutal and naked power without flinching. It seems very, very real and I have to presume that it works so well because it is using the natural talent of real people who aren't acting. The movie almost becomes documentary at times and you realize that you are watching a believable movie based on a true story.Having said that, there is something slightly schizophrenic about the movie making which makes it one of the most bizarre movies I have ever reviewed but it deserves an eight because of the location filming with people who obviously believe and understand their own proud history.

This 9 hour mini-series is part soap-opera,part action-adventure epic.It is indeed a massive production and one can only marvel at the effort that has so obviously gone into re-creating the early 19th century in which the story is set.The film can basically be divided into 2 parts - the British/Zulu relationship and the birth and rise of Shaka.The British/Zulu relationship segments appear as bookends whereas the story of Shaka basically makes up the substantial middle.Performances,as usual in such TV productions,are mostly above average(though seeing the natives speak in English does jar a bit - the local dialect with subtitles would have been more appropriate).The political and social milieu of the times is well presented and no sides are taken.At the end of the day,however,one gets the distinct impression that the time taken to tell the story is much more than the substance in hand demands.

Although not a despot known to many, Shaka Zulu controlled an empire at the height of his power comparable to that of Napolean and was as brutal as Vlad the Impaler; this miniseries very successfully shows his rise to power, relationship with British envoys, and eventual fall.As the mini-series opens, a solemn South African representative listens to the British elite, including Queen Victoria, belittle his people and then begs them to let his people keep their sovereignty. The series then flashbacks to the British embassy going to meet Shaka, running into trouble, and eventually earning his trust after an assassination attempt. The series then flashbacks to his rise to power from a young boy to the most powerful man on the continent of Africa. The flashbacks never get confusing, the story is always well told. The cinematography is brilliant, the acting (especially by Henry Cele in the title role) is very competent, and the characters are very compelling.The series has a little something for everyone, although I think it would appeal more to history buffs like myself. In addition, there is substantial amounts of nudity, as most of the African women go around topless. While the nudity didn't detract from the narrative or become gratutitious, it is something to think about before letting younger viewers watch.All in all i heartily recommend this mini-series, whether for a really, really rainy day or an hour at at time after work.