Rejected by his superstitious herd, a half-striped zebra embarks on a daring quest to earn his stripes but finds the courage and self-acceptance to save all the animals of the Great Karoo.
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A half-striped zebra is born into an insular, isolated herd obsessed with stripes. Rumors that the strange foal is cursed spread and, before long, he is blamed for the drought that sets into the Great Karoo. When even his father, the leader of the herd, blames him for the lack of rain and the subsequent death of his mother, the outcast zebra leaves the confines of his home knowing that he cannot survive in the herd without all his stripes. Khumba ventures beyond the fence - vulnerable to the ferocious Leopard, Phango, who controls the waterholes and terrorizes the animals in the Great Karoo. Khumba is rescued from an opportunistic wild dog by a quirky duo: a wildebeest and an ostrich. Mama V is a self-confessed free spirit who does not want to be the average stay-at-home mom, like other wildebeest. Ironically, she mothers Bradley, a flamboyant but insecure ostrich who overcompensates for his scraggily feathers. When a mystical mantis appears to the foal, drawing a map to what could be... Written by
Anonymous
Silver when a child, read about an animal which was thought to be extinct called a Quagga with half stripes. When researching the story, Silverston was fortunate enough to meet with Professor Reinhold Rau, the founder of the Quagga Project Association who started the investigation that ultimately proved the Quagga is merely a subspecies of zebra that looks different rather than an entirely separate species. The Quagga Project Association has with the help of volunteers has been trying to breed this extinct variety "back to life" and a foal was born and named after the lead character in the film. See more »
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.
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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.