Khumba (2013)

Yes, yes, another talking-wild-animal film, complete with journey of discover for the poor half- striped zebra who doesn't fit it. But I found it to be a first-class effort of its type. Oh, yes, it does slow down a bit in the middle; they could have tightened it up quite a lot. But some of the animated characters were quite clever, humorous, or both. And the cultural memes and stories utilized in the plot, being out of South Africa, were significantly different than the approach that say, Disney or Dreamworks might have taken.Your kids will enjoy it. And if you appreciate animation, you'll enjoy a fresh approach to a familiar type of animated features.

Review: It's not exactly the Lion King, but it's a fun movie with laughs along the way. The storyline was average for a kiddie movie and the whole half striped zebra thing was original but not that great. The thing that saved the movie was the different characters, who were quite funny and definitely great for the kids. The director tried to mix up the humour with adult and kiddie jokes but the animation wasn't that great. It won't go down as a classic but the journey of Khumba does have a hidden moral to the story which is sweat and enjoyable for the whole family. Average!Round-Up: Some of the voices throughout the movie are very recognisable and they were a great choice for some of the animals. From Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishbourne and Steve Buscemi, they were a great addition to the cast, but it movie lacked proper humour like the Lego Movie or The Incredibles. I appreciate the attention to detail of some of the scenes, but the animals looked very basic, along with some of the backdrops but that's just me being picky. Anyway, it's great fun if your watching it with the family, but for an adult, the jokes weren't that great. Budget: $20million Worldwide Gross: $11.6millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there animated movies about a half striped zebra looking for magic water so he can get stripes to cover the rest of his body. 4/10

My daughter totally loved this movie!!! I found it beautiful and of a really high standard. It took me right into my memories of the Karoo- I could smell, hear and feel it, as I watched. AWESOME story, characters and AND animation, great job!! It was also seriously very funny, there were moments when I cried with laughter and then had tears in heartfelt moments. The voices were so well cast!!! I loved the blend of accents, the blend of cultures.. a TRUE Rainbow film, but not just for South Africa.. it is a film EVERYONE will love.Congrats.. and Kudos to the ENTIRE team and all their partners etc. I happily give this movie a 9 - it is a big winner for me, from a small studio...LOVE it!

I hate animations more than most people. Here is why:Stereotypical characters: Handsome hunk, extroverted (and slightly crazy) sidekicks, damsels in distress, evil villains wanting world domination. - Predictable plot lines: Become king/queen, find true love.Of all these (seemingly inescapable) plot lines, Khumba dwindled on the stereotypical. Yet, it IS different. Despite racial stereotyping (wise African woman, rugby-playing Afrikaners *snicker*, courageous Irish/Scots) the characters are strangely bland at times. Despite the fair voice-acting, Kumba will not be remembered for its characters. Many inside jokes will only be understand by South Africans. Even though the sound effects are fair, the soundtrack is not strong enough to stand on it's own.Khumba is aimed at a mature audience. Jokes are seasoned sparingly maintaining a good balance. An original plot line combined with toned- down stock characters maintain interest in the movie throughout. Gorgeous animation and attention to detail is nothing short of breathtaking at times.I have to admit: the SA film-industry cannot compete against Hollywood and the rest of the world. Popular SA films are often tasteless with a low-budget. Khumba had financial support from the government raising the budget (and thankfully the standard as well). Judging from the trailer I expected good graphics, but I did not expect a great movie. Khumba is a worthy watch on par with international competition. It fully deserved a good rating: 8/10.