xdguy Have heard that one of the lions ended up in one of the two leading men's family home foyer in Oregon while the second lion is in the Smithsonian Museum in D.C. One lions head was at the five foot mark while standing flat foot on all fours. Man said the movie was "spot on" save for one part he didn't like.

Vimacone Hollywood pictures based on true stories tend to be a mixed bag. History buffs will be quick to point out historical inaccuracies. But one must remember that a motion picture cannot be 100% true to the events that the film was based on and some liberties must be taken to make the film cohesive and entertaining. And as a history buff myself, I always look into the actual events behind the film.Colonel Patterson's account of the two man-eater's of Tsavo is an unusual and interesting account in British and natural history. Because of the unusual nature of this event, such an account lends itself perfectly to a motion picture, even if some parts are embellished.The film is told from the perspective of Samuel, a native who worked as a railroad worker with Colonel Patterson. The events took place in 1898, almost a century before the movie adaptation. Aside from some embellishments and Michael Douglas' character (who was fictitious), the events as described by the real Colonel Patterson are largely based on his memoir of his experience with the rogue lions and the trials he faced in managing railroad workers of different backgrounds to work together.In addition to the suspense and action that involves the lions, some of the best sequences involve the interactions among Patterson, Remington, and Samuel; All done with great dialogue. Samuel explains situations and the characters' backgrounds with terminologies that his people in the time frame would understand, but it is still conveyed very effectively to the audience. His narration that takes place in the aftermath of an attack gives insight to the fear and perspectives of the workers of varying backgrounds. You really feel their intense fear. Remington, a skilled but cocky American hunter, brings a minor sense of comic relief to a tense situation. He seems confident that these are just ordinary lions that can be easily located and killed, but soon sees otherwise.This makes for a great suspense and adventure picture with some memorable dialogue and scenes. And I also recommend reading The Man Eaters of Tsavo (the official account of the events) in addition to the movie; As truth can be more interesting than fiction.

LeonLouisRicci The Critics and Audiences Dismissed this on its Initial Release as Hollywood Hokum and was routinely Labeled as a Jaws Rip-Off. Nothing to See here was the Consensus.This is Fertile for the Formation of a Cult Movie and so it has become. On Second Viewing or Thought, there is much to See here. Beautiful Locations in Africa by Award Winning Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond is the Backdrop of a Real Life event with Paranormal Underpinnings.It is the Story of Two Rampaging, Atypical Lions who go on a Killing Spree Devouring Humans at an Unnatural and Unnerving Pace. The Body Count varies, some have said 140, but no matter what the Number, it was a Devastating Disaster resulting in Legendary Recounting and Myth-Making.Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas are Acceptable if Nothing Great and that Doesn't Matter either because the Power of the Film comes from the Hunt and the Hunted Man-Hunters. It's a High Gloss Production with Excellent Music and Sound. The Suspense Builds to Bloody Carnage and a Battle of Wits between Man vs Beast.Engrossing, sometimes very Scary, and Delivers the Goods as Entertaining Movie Making that Titillates with Gore and Gruesomeness. It is really a Horror-Movie done with the Standard Ingredients that make the Genre a Popular Favorite. Above Average and Slick. Does Not Disappoint. Good Production from Everyone Involved.

Leofwine_draca Here's something a bit different (not original, but different): an adventure film, set in Africa in 1896 and concerning the building of a bridge. Oh, and a pair of lions which roam around and rip people apart. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Well, it is, but the execution could have been a bit better. The main problem is that the script is too concerned with the characters and not with the lions - it's over halfway through the film before the confrontation between man and beast arrives. Thus there are plenty of ponderous moments which lack the necessary thrust and sparkle of other parts of the film, and these detract from the piece as a whole.Another problem is with the casting of Val Kilmer as the hero. Now I'm pretty ambivalent when it comes to Val, but it has to be said that he gives a pretty poor performance here and lacks the necessary charisma of, say, Harrison Ford. Therefore, as a lead, he's bland, and that's not a good thing to have in a film. Thankfully we are compensated somewhat by the casting of Michael Douglas as a seasoned, over the top game hunter. The supporting cast is especially good, with a weaselly Tom Wilkinson (THE FULL MONTY) and plenty of other familiar faces.The back of the box said there were some 'gory' moments, but as a whole it's pretty tame, relying on suggestion rather than in your face blood and guts for effectiveness. There are some gruesome flashes of a torn corpse which work, but all of the other deaths are pretty similar: lion jumps on somebody and kills them off screen. The lions themselves are excellent, and Stan Winston is to thank for the creatures which grace our screens and look extremely life-like.While THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS has some superior suspenseful moments, there are too many stupid and mishandled action bits which just don't ring true. Val Kilmer falls off a beam after being attacked by a bird, the final chase (up a tree, of all places) is pretty contrived too. The film works best when pondering the thought that the lions are not living creatures, but in fact spirits of the land, claiming vengeance for Mother Nature. These bits are unsettling and eeriest, but unfortunately everything else is generic and thinks that it's better than it really is. Okay, but not as amazing as I'd heard.