Customer Reviews

Lion of Africa

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gods Must Be Crazy, Out Of Africa, or Hatari, it ain't. What it is, instead, is a good and fun adventure in Kenya. Brian Denehey is terrific as the stubborn-old-coot-safari-guy. It has moments of charm and wild abandon. The cinematography is excellent. You'll love just watching the African scenery go by. The story leaves something to be desired. But, on the whole, it's a pretty good movie.

I have been a fan of Brian Dennehy since I first saw him in Foul Play. I have watched everything he has been in. The Lion in Africa was a great movie because for once he played a hero, had a love interest, and got the girl at the end. With the exception of the Little Mermaid and the Belly of an Architect - I have enjoyed everything he has been in. Lion in Africa, however, is my favorite and I can watch it over and over again. I wish he would do more movies like this.

No, it isn't high theater but it is a good movie to sit down in front of with a big bowl of popcorn, a cold beer and maybe the lady in your life for an enjoyable weekend afternoon diversion.

Brian Dennehy has the "borderline obnoxious but deep down you know there's a heart of gold" character down pat and he plays it to the hilt here. The scenery is great, particularly if you're stuck inside on a cloudy, rainy day.

A good, fun flick.

My absolute favorite performance of Brian Dennehy. It's a very rare comedic turn for the normally acerbic tough guy who, more often than not, is cast as a thug of one sort or another.

In this production he plays Sam Marsh, a happy-go-lucky transporter whose vehicle is lovingly branded "The Lion Of Africa" - a sturdy industrial truck that he's customized to handle the arduous trip between the rural small township he calls home and the faraway big cities. Everyone knows him because he's the go-to service when you need something special or something important. The government-run delivery is rife with incompetent workers, parcels that all too often "fall off the truck", and whose scheduled deliveries are constantly delayed because of bureaucratic mismanagement. With Sam - delivery is guaranteed, for a price of course.

Supplier, Mailman, and Jack-Of-All-Trades - he's about meet his match in Brooke Adams who plays Dr. Grace Danet, a physician trying to do some good in that part of the world. And despite all she's done and endured, is still horrified when she's cursed by the local witch doctor; unless she can bring back medicine to their remote and very sick village, tragedy will follow her the rest of her life. Her only choice: Convince Sam to make a humanitarian trip, one he's clearly disinclined to undertake having just recently completed a two-week run. He wants a hot bath, a bottle of whiskey, a proper toilet and a warm body to cuddle up to - at least until he stops pissing blood.

Grace isn't the type to take 'no' for an answer and promptly attempts to steal The Lion. Not a good idea.

Sam will never strike a woman, but she comes awfully close to provoking the situation. The Lion is absolutely everything to him - job, housing, food, drink, pleasure and social standing/relevance - all rolling around on six tires and a hardened steel frame. No one touches her, no one. And he decides walking away is the better part of valor, until she shows him just how she intended to pay for the medicine.

Our man knows an uncut raw diamond when he sees one - especially when it's the size of a chicken egg! Grace held out because she doesn't trust him. Which he takes as a good sign.

The price is half of what the stone brings or she can start walking. Grace desperately wants to refuse knowing that greed, especially for man who is essentially a mercenary, can overwhelm a person's better nature. But the transporter is holding all the cards, or least the only vehicle capable of making the run, so she has no choice but to agree.

The real problem: She and Sam aren't the only ones who know about the diamond. The other interested party is a gangster with resources that stretch across the continent. And he's decided that it's plain ol' easier and cheaper to just kill anyone who stops him from obtaining it.

Sam and Grace's journey to the big city, crossing over the wild primitive African veldt, is humorous, lively and dangerously romantic; an extremely enjoyable and well-worn plot that has a lot energy and oomph. Definitely a film worth seeking out. Unfortunately, like so many HBO productions, this has not seen a modern upgrade and is only available via VHS tape.

And just like the journey that Sam and Grace make, it's not going to be easy to get a clean copy this fun flick. But it's one that I highly recommend if you enjoy romantic comedies with a heavy dash of adventure.

Movie Note: Interestingly, the same fictional story of "Mami Wata's Tear", was retold in a much more serious film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou called "Blood Diamond".

i love this movie s
ince i saw it way back in the 80s. anyone know when there might be a dvd release?

Originally a documentary produced by HBO in 1987, this is an adventure movie that did not have that "feel". Fast-paced and spot-on dynamic, Brian Dennehy was superb as a big-hearted rogue in South Africa with an aging, growling bush truck he dubbed "The Lion of Africa". Thoroughly entertaining and informative at the same time, it was a gem of a purchase, even though it is now only available in VHS format and was purchased used from a party in Europe. It arrived as agreed, with a thank you note from the seller. All around, a great deal.

The beginning of this film clearly shows in large letters, WEST AFRICA, but it was shot in Kenya, so the scenery is marvelous. A ripping good story and a good look at how Africa functions. I have to watch this one twice each year.

Love Brian Dennehy, loved the movie set in africa. I wish it would come out on DVD, I've waited 7 years but no such luck.

I saw this movie quite a while ago. I liked it very much. It is a great play on the characters and their situations.
I am really disappointed that it is not available on disc, just vhs. I got lucky and found a video of it through
a company through Amazon. Thank you for that. I recorded it when I first watched and did not get all of the scenes
in the movie--they edit and take out many scenes before it is shown.I'm happy I found a tape.

Great family movie! Action, romance, comedy all in one. Worth watching! Saw it a long time ago and would love to see it come out in a DVD! Know it was a "made for TV" movie, but would love to buy it