Being used to today's explosion-filled, fast-paced movies being churned out on a weekly basis for the sake of selling tickets, Duma is what I'd like to say a slap in the face for all of us who get excited over the mediocrity that has brought out "The Interpreter," "Stealth," and what else is playing now...? A movie that I would definitely recommend for an entire family to watch together, there's nothing in here that would make you want to cover your kids' eyes or ears up at anytime. Instead you'd want for them, and for yourself, to sit up and pay attention to this smooth, smart movie.

Don't wait for any explosions. There is a story being told in this movie, and its being told with a fresh touch of poetry which I haven't seen in a long time.

I gave this movie an 8/10 because of one reason: Although the movie is set in Africa, its really hard to tell until halfway through the movie. In fact, the place looked whiter than Little Rock, Arkansas! But it got an 8/10 because of the story, the storytelling, and the smooth pace at which the movie flows.

'Duma' is a poignant tale of a young South African lad's devotion to his pet cheetah and that can easily be enjoyed by both adults and young children alike. It doesn't pander to infants in the audience, relying on good story-telling, engaging character interaction and beautiful scenery to set the scene for a thoroughly delightful film.

In this film, we follow the adventures of twelve-year-old Xan, a child raised on a small farm in remote South Africa and whose best friend is Duma, a cheetah he found as a tiny cub. Life is good for boy and cheetah until Xan's father takes ill then dies, forcing him and his mother to relocate to the city in a move that would condemn Duma to an animal reserve. However, Xan is determined to follow his father's plans to return Duma to the wild and embarks on a journey across the planes of South Africa with his beloved cheetah by his side. Along the way, he befriends mysterious, and possibly treacherous, drifter Rip and Mashaka the bush baby.

Alexander Michaeletos, who played Xan, is a very natural young actor and captures the heart of his character depicting the boy's unflinching love for Duma as well as his underlying pain at the loss of his beloved father. Eamonn Walker also delivers a great performance as gruff Rip, leaving you wondering about his motives in regards to Xan and Duma until he finally shows his true colours. And, of course, the animals themselves deserve much credit! Mashaka the bush baby was just adorable as was the big-hearted Duma, who really seemed to have a bond with young Michaeletos. I also loved how they included Duma's sound effects, bringing home just how cheetahs are like over-grown house cats with the way he mewed and purred away.

The wonderful thing about 'Duma' is there is nothing cutesy or pretentious about it and that is refreshing. It doesn't rely on silly jokes or overly-precocious kids to sell its story. It is just an endearingly honest film about how friendship can transcend species and one boy's journey both across Africa and across the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Highly recommended for animal lovers who want something a bit different from Hollywood kiddie flicks.

I have no idea why this movie got such a small-scale cinema release. It certainly can't have anything to do with the quality of the film. I was surprised by Duma, because it's an extremely well-directed film which treats its audience with far more respect and intelligence than a lot of so-called "family" fare available. Also, as opposed to many films with animal protagonists, Duma doesn't treat them as objects of half-witted hokey slapstick fun, but instead makes the entire friendship between human and animal seem extremely touching and authentic.

In a way there is something almost Miyazaki -esque about this movie, in that it draws you into the narrative not with half-baked nudge nudge wink wink references which only adults will understand, but through its intelligence and excellent sense of drama alone; not to mention the great performances by Eamonn Walker and Alexander Michaeletos - two names to look out for in the future if their performances here are anything to go by. At any rate, Duma is one of the few cases where the possibly over-used moniker "A film for all ages" definitely applies. Recommended if you can find it.