ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Christine This is an excellent documentary about a horrific subject. It's shocking and depressing to know there's so much ignorant white trash out there who think owning deadly predators and exotic animals is in any way okay. And that our local governments allow it, despite the death toll of both humans and animals, and the often terrible living conditions and fates of the animals involved.The lion owner, Terry, who the documentary largely focuses on...I don't think I've ever actually hated a person featured in a documentary before, but that's what I felt towards him. Pure disgust and hatred. This man chose to deal with his depression by acquiring a male lion, named Lambert, and then a lioness later on. He kept these 500-pound animals in a tiny trailer not big enough for my dog for months and months. They eventually had four cubs (one died almost immediately) and were moved to a slightly larger cage.I just don't see how those lions weren't taken away from him the first time one escaped and was attacking cars in traffic. The conditions these creatures were kept in were heartbreaking-- a pathetically small, filthy cage. Terry says so many times throughout the documentary how much he "loves" his lions, even while those lions are lying in mud and their own feces. The situation continues to deteriorate until Lambert dies a slow, excruciating death from an electrical accident. You get to watch the lion jump around his wet cage and roar in agony, with nowhere to escape, before his body finally gives out. So that four-year-old lion spent his entire short life confined in squalor before finally dying a painful death. But his owner "loved" him so much.That's the reality for these animals. As is stated in the documentary, there are no happy endings for these animals. The moronic people who purchase and acquire them often have no idea what they're getting into and are poorly equipped to care for the animals, so most end up being put down, abandoned or dying in some other tragic way.I don't understand this country I live in, where cities ban entire dog breeds yet allow people to own tigers in their home. It makes absolutely no sense. I hope documentaries like this wake people up and inspire real change.
MartinHafer Normally I wouldn't be quite so blunt in my summary, but wow--the people featured in this film who owned these incredibly dangerous 'pets' were crazy!! While I knew there were a lot of sick folks who owned big cats and chimps, I didn't realize the problem was that bad. The documentary folks do two things--travel with people who are trying to get these animals away from irresponsible owners as well as show the owners themselves. While the film is clearly against most folks having these animals as pets, it equivocated a bit from time to time--such as Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials saying that they were NOT in favor of banning the owning of these animals and the film portrayed the owners rather decently.Overall, a very bizarre but important film--important because crocodiles, tigers, chimps and the like are quite probably living near you! In fact, the Dayton, Ohio locale for some of the film was a bit scary, as I used to live between Dayton and Cincinnati--and there are apparently LOTS of insanely dangerous animals in that area.Also, the film apparently came out just before the biggest and scariest story about insane people with exotics--the man near Zanesville, Ohio who deliberately released his dangerous managerie (which included 18 tigers) and then killed himself!! Wow...
kimberlylcurtis This is a must-see for anyone concerned about animal welfare or the welfare of their community (which includes almost everyone!). We see exotic animal incidents from all over the country and closely follow a heart-breaking story of a man and his lions. Most people (including me until I saw this film) have no idea how easy it is to purchase exotic animals and simply keep them in your home as if they were no different from a dog or a cat. How is it possible that you need a license to keep a dog, but not an elephant? This film shows why it shouldn't be possible, and blows the lid off an industry that turns a blind eye to human and animal suffering.
ah355305 This film changed my opinion about ownership of exotic animals in a way that I would have never expected. Before seeing this film I must say that I would have thought owning an exotic cat or reptile as a pet would be interesting, however now I understand that these animals need more than a private owner can give them. I was moved to tears by Terry's story and I have learned so much from watching it. Exotic animals deserve to be able to act like animals, to run on grass, to have wide open spaces to move, to interact with other animals. The unending love that Terry has for his lions shines through in his ability to make the best choices for them in the end despite his want to keep them with him. This is also a beautiful film about human nature and people who truly have a caring and loving spirit for animals and other people. Please go see this film if you have any interest in the needs and rights of these animals, or if you just want to be taken on a journey with thrills, tears, joy, sadness, and human triumph.
