The four-part wildlife documentary "Lion: Africa," produced by Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton, offers an exhilarating and intimate look at the lives of lions in Kenya's Maasai Mara, achieving a five-star rating from TV critic Christopher Stevens.
Utilizing state-of-the-art drone photography, the series takes viewers closer to the animals than ever before. Unlike traditional filmmaking that relies on long lenses, "Lion: Africa" employs drones to track alongside lions, hover above them, and circle through the pride. This technique creates a sensation of being part of the pride, offering a perspective previously unseen in wildlife documentaries.
The documentary, which took four years and 52 separate shoots across 1,400 days to film, initially followed approximately 50 lions. However, the producers ultimately focused on the narrative of a single cub named Kio.
Narrated by stage actor OJ Lynch, who voiced Mufasa in a West End production of "The Lion King," the series draws parallels to the classic Disney film. Kio, like Simba, is portrayed as destined to lead the pride, facing significant challenges and ordeals, including surviving a wildfire and navigating the dangers posed by other lions.
The first two episodes, available on Disney+ and the National Geographic channel, chronicle Kio's life from a newborn to adolescence. While the early stages feature adorable moments of Kio as a kitten, the series also depicts the brutal realities of life in the wild. One scene illustrates a hunt gone wrong, where a lioness is tossed into the air by a buffalo herd.
Despite its depiction of harsh realities, the documentary is graded 12+, suitable for older children, and emphasizes the human-like qualities of the young lion. Stevens noted that the level of detail, from the dew on a lion's whiskers to the blinking of its nictitating membrane, creates an unparalleled sense of proximity and immersion for the viewer.