Roar (1981)

That was an excellent one.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Excellent adaptation.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Having seen this viceral masterpiece again after 35 years, when I was just a young nipper, it had quite the same amazing effect, as it did back then. No other movie, has touched me, the way this one has. Featuring a young Melanie Griffith who looks really hot in that black outfit, she's surrounded by a group of unknowns, although I knew Tippi Hendren, but I really didn't follow her, although I had seen The Harrad Experiment. The thing about this great film, which you can call many things, it's a family effort, and it pays off as one great exciting, thrilling, exciting, scary, amusing and beautifully though provoking film, especially as far an animal killing is concerned. The song/montage, that precedes the end credits, had me bordering on tears, where earlier when a couple of those lions were taking out by that bastard hunting duo, for me, when those hunters were killed, it was a grand revenge moment. The film as I remember was rated G, which I found enigmatic, considering the blood and violence spared, the hunter duo attack, especially. The story has the estranged father who lives, loves and has formed a deep bond with all his lions, where the way he talks and passionately communicates with his babies, in his racy overworked voice, is something unique, as is his character. As slipping his mind, about picking his family up, they visit his beautiful African hacienda paradise, only to be confronted by and subdued by the lions, aswarm, where these beautiful agile creatures steal the show. The film work done here, following them with dolly and tracking, and a lot of up, close and personal, but so intimate shots are wonderfully done, just watching these scene stealers again, was beautiful to the viewers eye. The soundtrack cassette I had from this, has great songs, the racy, "Wouldn't It Be Great" is my favorite though, and a none more perfect song to this opening of that grand film, "This Is My Land". Lion lover, Marshall in the lead provides some funny lines, like saying to one of the hunters, who's face is covered in blood "It's only a scatch". Marshall's character, too, sacrifices a couple of wounds and scrapes from his primal friends, who sometimes a bit rampant, and we see a few times, which I found a little unnerving, tigers going at each others. Roar can fall into a few categories. You don't know if you should be scared or not by these lovable, raging lions. It's like a getting to know someone message, and Roar certainly makes his stand on the relationship between beast and man. It actually hones out a few messages, but this is a one in an only movie experience, a remarkable film, you just can't watch once. If there's one film, they should bring back to the big Aussie screens, this would be it, though I wouldn't be happy with it being, remastered. Why tamper with excellence which this movie is. It's hypnotic, and unforgettable, and at the end, you'll feel completely drained, thanks to the lions, in one beautiful, touching ending.

Warning: Spoilers... for a movie that's 45 years old.I just watched a copy of this for the first time. It's pretty insane. I was left wondering why they made up a violent storyline instead of just showing the big cats among a family in a peaceful setting. I know a film can't be about the land of the happy people, but those cats are scary when they aren't fighting. 14 year-old Melanie Griffith has a scene where the blood has drained from her face and her lips are grey. You can tell that she really was terrified, not just acting. It is a movie with sheer terror mixed with enough absurdity to make you laugh in parts. The elephants in the film were my favorite to watch. They were the only elephants I've ever seen that I thought were scary. And by the time the family meets up with them, I couldn't help but cheer as one tears their boat out from under them and rips it apart. I wish this had gone the same way as Uly's 'Gods Must Be Crazy' though. That was a far superior film. It's a shame the concept for this was just plain stupid. i still highly recommend watching it. The bonus documentary is also worth seeing. Tippi Hedren's extremely candid comments left me speechless. Nothing gets more real than that.

Labelled one of the most dangerous film-shoots of all time, with real lion on human attacks still in the film.70 cast and crew members were hurt during filming to several degrees, some were close to death but luckily no one did die.I was amazed by the sheer numbers of lions in the movie, it's well over 50 they have the lions live up close and personal with the lead played by Noah Marshall with seemingly little to no fear for his safety. The numbers of lions decrease slightly when Melanie Griffith and Tippi Hedren etc comes into the movie (probably because of the many attacks) but they are still far from being safe (Melanie Griffith required 50 stitches and plastic surgery and Tippi Hedren required 34 stitches from being bitten by lions in the film).As far as the story goes well, the lions who were untrained improvises a lot to say the least and the cast have to act off of what they do but there is a plot for sure in the film it just get put to the side at times.It's a once in a lifetime movie experience, so it's definitely recommendable for that reason alone but it also helps that it is very entertaining and the lions are beautiful.

And I thought Grizzly Man was crazy. This film made me uncomfortable, bewildered, and astonished all at once. How nobody died during the making of this is beyond me. How ANYBODY in their right mind would even think of committing to this movie for even a fraction of a year is completely and totally insane. For a film with overtones of slapstick comedy, it certainly manages to deliver a feeling of intensity and uneasiness that I've never experienced while watching a movie before. At times, I felt like the novelty was fading away, only to be reminded that THIS FILM IS WHAT HAVING A DEATH WISH LOOKS LIKE. Every so often, you come across a movie that sticks with you for whatever reason. This is one that you won't forget anytime soon. I promise you.