Movie Review - The Lion Hunters (Bomba, The Jungle Boy)

It's a shame we don't have film franchises today, and by that I mean a series of movies that lasts for at least six films or more. Fast and the Furious is the only one that comes to mind. And the Avengers movies. See what kind of storytelling is possible with a franchise?

The Lion Hunters is a 1951 live-action film based on the Bomba, The Jungle Boy novels by Roy Rockwood and is the fifth film in a 12-film franchise. It is unrated and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Action. This film has more action and less talking, which works well in a jungle film and takes advantage of the medium.

Cinematography. Even though all twelve films in the franchise were written and directed by the same guy, some of the films just have better cinematography than others, and this is one of the best. The scenes are framed so well, the action shot in a way that makes you feel like you are part of it (as much as is possible with stock footage inserts).

Silent Storytelling. This film uses a lot of silent storytelling where it's just the visuals and the music to tell the story and describe the action, and it is done well and creates a good amount of suspense.

The Bad

Bomba is a Jerk. Bomba is kind of a jerk in this one sabotaging a group who is doing nothing wrong and is obeying the law just because he is friends with the animals.

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish Bomba would have had a better reason for behaving the way he did. He comes off as the bad guy as times and is the instigator of some of the problems.

Overall

The Lion Hunters is a 1951 live-action film based on the Bomba, The Jungle Boy novels by Roy Rockwood and is the fifth film in a 12-film franchise. The cinematography is really nice. Even though all twelve films in the franchise were written and directed by the same guy, some of the films just have better cinematography than others, and this is one of the best. The scenes are framed so well, the action shot in a way that makes you feel like you are part of it (as much as is possible with stock footage inserts). This film uses a lot of silent storytelling where it's just the visuals and the music to tell the story and describe the action, and it is done well and creates a good amount of suspense. The only negative is the motivation for Bomba. Bomba is kind of a jerk in this one sabotaging a group who is doing nothing wrong and is obeying the law just because he is friends with the animals. I wish he would have had a better reason for behaving the way he did. He comes off as the bad guy as times and is the instigator of some of the problems. Otherwise this is a great film. I highly recommend it and give it 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.