ianlouisiana From Frank Machin to Marcus Aurelius,Richard Harris has hidden behind various accents,mannerisms and eccentricities for so many years that it came as a bit of a shock to discover that,when the mood was on him,he could still produce an honest and revealing performance.As George Adamson the pioneer wildlife preservationist he has cut to the bare bones and given us a wilful,stubborn shambling wreck of a man who refuses to accept that he has grown old - a thirty year old in an 80 year old's body. Grumbling,misanthropic,tunnel - visioned,Harris's Adamson is not an easy man to like,but,unlike many of his former characterisations,he is a totally believable one. "To walk with lions" is a "warts and all" portrait of an Africa riven with internal strife and careless of the fate of it's wildlife.Game poachers bribe or intimidate Wardens,rebel "soldiers" rape and murder at will whilst Adamson's Reserve seems an oasis of hope,reason and enlightenment. It could,if you were terribly non PC,be taken as representing the last outpost of the Empire,but of course I'm sure that was not the filmmakers'intention. Ordered by the Kenyan government to quit,Adamson,predictably,digs his heels in,and the scene is set for a confrontation he is not going to win. Stubborness is the feature all the main characters share.Adamson's brother,a man not converted to the cause of the lions ("..the elephant - now "THERE'S an animal!"),his new assistant,Byronic drifter Fitzjohn,mauled by a lion,shot at by poachers,beaten up by soldiers,he still persists in his aim to move Adamson's Reserve to Namibia,and Lucy, Anthropologist and Fitzjohn's partner - in -resolve to continue Adamson's work, they share a steely determination to fulfill their self - allotted tasks. Honor Blackman appears in a small part as Joy Adamson and certainly seizes her moment.Geraldine Chaplin arrives towards the end as Adamson's former mistress .In attempting to rescue her from a rebel ambush he is shot to death. Uncomfortable questions are asked about Africa's future and the future of its wildlife,but with the current genocide in Darfur and strife and unrest in so many other states,it is apparent that the country's leaders may have more on their minds than saving a few animals.From their point of view it may well be a matter of priorities. I was disturbed by this movie,left with an overwhelming feeling of gloom over the fate of millions of my fellow human beings.What they need is someone like George Adamson to speak for them.

standish77 All I can say about this movie is...wow! Its a fascinating retelling of the later years in George Adamson's incredible life. Richard Harris is a spitting image of the ageing Adamson and the supporting cast (particularly the late Ian Bannen) are excellent. There is nothing to fault with this film....an absolute classic! Its criminal why this film suffered a very limited release. Hopefully it will do a Shawshank Redemption and enjoy the praise it deserves, now its out on video.

Rhino Rover Documentary type films have always been tricky to make. They're not always about topics that mass audiences find interesting but there have been some relative successes (Gorillas in the Mist). "To Walk with Lions" is another one of these documentary type movies. Before I proceed, I apologize if this review has a sombre feel to it. It is one of the few movies I've seen this year that has had such an impact on me. It's been about 30 minutes since I've left the theatre and I'm sitting here in a coffee shop writing this but I find myself still thinking about the events of this movie.The film is based on the true life accounts of George Adamson and Tony Fitzjohn. George Adamson (played by Richard Harris) is a wildlife conservationist in Kenya that specializes in the re-release of lions back into the wild. Tony Fitzjohn (played by John Michie) is a drifter that floats from job to job in Africa and somehow ends up being hired as Adamson's assistant. This chance encounter turned out to change Fitzjohn's life forever. The story focuses on Adamson's plight of running his lion release program and the politics involved during a time when the Kenyan government is in a state of unrest. The film shows the relationship that evolves between Adamson and Fitzjohn and does so through the eyes of Fitzjohn. This particular movie focuses on the time from when Fitzjohn is hired to when Fitzjohn takes over Adamson's life work in 1989, a span of 18 years. There is very little about the actual release program itself but rather focuses on Adamson as a person and what plights he faces. Thrown in this mix, is the problem that Adamson faces as the Kenyan government threatens to shut down his operations and put and end to his program. He must deal with this issue as well as handle poaching problems occurring in the area.There have been many movies made in or about Africa but this film has a very different feel to it. Gone are the bright colors and crystal clear pictures. This film truly has the feel of a documentary. It is frequently very dusty and the actors always seemed to be covered in dirt and grime. In addition, the picture is not always in focus (either that or the dust swirls around so much that it dulls everything) that it adds an element of reality to the movie. You can almost feel the grit in your mouth.Richard Harris plays Adamson wonderfully and he looks amazingly similar to the real Adamson. As to how accurately he portrays the real Adamson, I don't know but his actual acting performance was incredible. This is the first time I have ever seen Harris but he definitely puts his best foot forward. John Michie plays Fitzjohn equally well and the audience gets a real sense of respect and admiration from him as his relationship with Adamson develops. What makes these performances all the more impressive is that most of the scenes with the lions are done with both actors and lions together in the same shot...and in close proximity to each other. Some of the mauling scenes looking amazingly real too...maybe a bit too real. Some of the other scenes with other animals are quite graphic too and a bit on the hard side to watch. The introduction of Adamson's wife, Joy was a bit weak. It wasn't fully developed and left a lot of questions. From what I know of their relationship, it seemed to be closer than what was portrayed but I'm not expert so I can't really comment on that part of it but in my opinion, they could have removed Joy Adamson's involvement in this movie and it would have been just as effective.Overall, I thought this movie was fantastic but you leave the theatre with a heavy heart. The lions are real and the reactions to them seem genuine. It is a bit graphic in some cases but it is definitely worth the time to see. Keep in mind that this is based on real life accounts of both George Adamson and Tony Fitzjohn and therefore doesn't mean that the ending is going to be happy. In fact, it leaves you thinking about a lot of things that we as a human race allow to occur. > A

ToldYaSo Director Carl Schultz has made an extraordinary film with the help of some vastly talented and brave actors who overcame their fears to work with lions in Africa."To Walk With Lions" was featured in the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival and presented by the director, some actors and producers of the film, all of whom should be very proud of a triumphant and majestic film. The landscapes are magnificent and breathtaking, and prove to be an intriguing backdrop to an even more intriguing man who became something of a legend in our time.Thirty years ago, "Born Free" told the story of the Adamsons from its inception. This film carries on their story it until its tragic end in the late eighties. It mostly concerns the wildlife preserve "Kora", run by George Adamson, played incredibly by the wonderful and distinguished Richard Harris. The troubles in Africa continue even still as the corrupt Kenyan government and poachers prevail in the slaughter of the African wildlife, threatening extinction without much concern for the consequences. The story is told through the eyes of Tony Fitzjohn, as played by John Michie. Fitzjohn continues the Adamson crusade to preserve wildlife and rehabilitate lions from captivity back into the wild even today. The film was followed by an interesting Q&A where it was revealed that the majority of scenes with lions were real, which is astonishing considering the close proximity to the actors in many of the sequences. It would come as no surprise to me if this film was nominated for Oscars. If not, it would only be a testament to the high quality of the other nominees. When your opportunity presents itself, do not pass this one up.