Please don't spend money on this.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Don't let the cutesy cover picture deceive you—this is a phenomenal film. Far beyond a mere wildlife documentary, this is a full feature film with a storyline, action, and drama. Heroes and villains. Family. Culture. War. Play. It's all remarkably human. Or—rather it's that the human experience is understanding of the universal. It's the feeling that we are animals, too. We are one with the life around us, part of a huge family, clearly related, that our similarities remain after eons of evolution.Meerkats of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa are the spotlight of this film. But you are absorbed into the Kalahari—not only the macro world of the meerkats (only about a foot/30cm tall) but also the surrounding community of scorpions, cobras, eagles, rhinoceroses, lions, and more making their lives in the dust and scrub of the beautiful landscape.Supported by a full team of expert scientists, the film offers amazing insights into both meerkats and the surrounding life of the Kalahari. We learn about their language and behaviors. Their struggles. We watch them teach and raise their young. The film makes the beauty of nature and life so accessible that one feels a swell of respect for life of all kinds.The Meerkats gives us a hint of the coming films that capture the stories existing in nature around us—now with the support of a Hollywood-level budget. Innovative filming techniques bring us right in with amazing cinematography. Infrared lighting systems convey us into underground burrows at night, watching the meerkats sleep and wake up as well as a cobra's dramatic underground tunnel attack. Brilliant ground-breaking audio gives us not animal calls but the fine detail of movements, even that of walking insects. Together with the magnetic main characters, alluring score, and an excellent script with a moving storytelling by Paul Newman and you've got one pleasant movie experience.

When humans face the loveliness and miracles of nature, something truly awesome appears in our perceptions. In such moments of delight only heart can speak. And something so vivid, touching and surprising evokes whilst viewing the most captivating documentaries about natural world. And yet, documentary is, in many cases, still a 'docu' filled with scientific facts. In contrast, imagine a film about animals when they are 'protagonists' themselves and seem to 'behave' before cameras. THE MEERKATS, directed by James Honeyborne, has hardly appeared to me as a sheer documentary but a feature film. With its viewing experience and the haunting voice of Paul Newman, I felt like highlighting my emotions and sharing the captivating feast for the heart with my friend whom I am grateful to for owning that little treasure in my film gallery.The Kalahari in South Africa, the land of dry seasons, the land of thirst and wild animals that sometimes break the balance of nature. The Kalahari is the land where 'every sunset is a victory for those who have a chance to glimpse it.' In between the harsh wilderness of this 'land of the giants' live lovely tiny creatures, the Meerkats, who seem to 'understand' that 'staying close' to one another is an intuitive maxim of their lives. There are moments when hard conditions force them to do what they would not do normally. The absorbing mutual 'war dance' against invaders supply the viewers with unforgettable emotions. Besides, is there a lesson for those tiny creatures of how to manage in heat when droughts kill any hope for survival and enemies that attack constantly? And what are the gravely dangerous enemies?The patient cobra that knows no time and no mercy....The enormous eagle whose wings and strength give him possibilities that may be merely a dream to many other creatures...The lion, king among all who may also lack intelligence and tiny Meerkats may trick him when they are good students of their ancestors...What else can help them avoid the drama if not keeping together in family? Being one of the Meerkats is a pride of little photogenic Kolo, the protagonist of the absorbing 80 minute-story that keeps even the skeptical viewer stunned in the chair.. Kolo's growth to become an adult and the adventure of being taught necessary skills by his brother is the major highlight of his existence within the helpful community. Although his brother is a supreme teacher for him, there will come a day when there is no more 'brother' no more 'teacher' but Kolo will be forced to experience the very essence of the Kalahari. Will he grow up to become the teacher himself, the teacher for a new generation of Meerkats? Indeed, there is much he needs to learn, much loneliness and obstacles he needs to overcome...Yet, the promised day comes for the brave, honest and the determined at last.Thanks to the great contribution and tremendous efforts from the crew, including James Honeyborne's direction, Barrie Briton's cinematography, and Sarah Class's use of local music that resembles the rhythms of the land, the visual, aesthetic and artistic impressions are highly worth attention. The producers do a marvelous job in winning the 'trust' of the animals. Kolo touches our hearts and makes us empathize with him to an extent as one of the most genuine protagonist could do. But not only him but a number of Meerkats that trust humans, are so playful and natural before cameras, who share with us (in such a genuine manner) the circle of their lives, including the joyful moments, the hard working moments, the dramatic moments.THE MEERKATS is one of the most interesting documentaries I have seen about sweet animals that easily win our hearts. A gorgeous experience to be so close to nature, so close to the tiny creatures whose lives are filled with interesting interactions and constant mutual existence. So close to the miracle that Lord God has given to humanity through nature governed by its own rights but constantly creative, opening to all of us new horizons of seeing and learning from the little creatures. Also a lovely stimulus to understand the importance to protect the tiny ones. Stunning experience

This beautifully photographed wildlife movie anthropomorphises a group of meerkats. The fact that so much meerkat behaviour appears so deceptively human aids this approach although, personally, I felt that attributing human motives and relationships rather cheapened the absorbing and eye-catching visuals (I appreciate that allocating names is helpful for purposes of identification).Paul Newman delivers the narration in what was probably his final professional work. It is perfectly satisfactory, if a little cold.But this film stands on its visuals, and it transcends criticism on that basis alone.

This is a "must watch". Even if you aren't a nature film fan, this charming well made movie is worth the investment of time. It clocks in at a sprightly hour and a half, which flies past like an eagle chasing its prey.I generally find Alexander McCall Smith's novels 9and the series made from them - No. 1 Ladies Detective Club) a bit too precious. No question though that he knows, and loves, South Africa.His script for this mock documentary, narrated by Paul Newman in what seems to have been his final performance, teeters on the edge of cliché and sentimentality, but never topples over. The narrative line of personalizing the story of one young meerkat to tell the tale of the Kalahari, of dessert life, and the cycle of life, works effectively, and to my mind, makes this a superior and more accessible movie than March of the Penguins.The excellent score sets a tone, and a pace, which matches the story perfectly, and gives a sense of place. No soaring Beethoven or Mahler here. Real sounds of Africa. Done by a young English folk singer. Amazing.What blew me away most though was the cinematography and editing. I can't get over the shots that James Honeycombe and his crew captured in their six month mission, and condensed into a stunning visual.Please, watch this movie.