![]() ![]() The daily routines and mating rituals of the lions examined in 'Relentless Enemies' simply don't have the same built-in suspense factor found in a flick like 'Penguins', or any unique customs to set it apart from a million other nature docs. Yet, unlike a ' March of the Penguins,' there isn't really a "story" here, and no characters to hold our attention over the course of the 90 minute film. (Hence the "relentless enemies' of the title.) There are also moments of wonder and beauty, such as when we witness the birth of a buffalo fawn, or the sheer majestic of roar of the lion kings. To be sure, this is an exceptionally-produced, fabulously-shot documentary focusing on the lions that populate Africa, and that feed - often viciously - on herds of buffalo. ![]() National Geographic's 'Relentless Enemies' unfortunately falls into this trap. It takes a rare breed of doc to rise above the dreaded "educational" label, and unless you're really telling a captivating story, all the fabulous shots of rampaging buffalo and toothy tigers quickly blur into abstraction. After a while, all of these nature specials filled with footage of frolicking animals and set to narration by some big Hollywood star start to feel a bit repetitive. Which is why I end up feeling a little guilty when I watch a doc like 'Relentless Enemies,' because I can't help but wonder if all the effort that went into its making was really worth it. Meanwhile, for such a noble profession, recognition is scant at best - all of your hard work goes unacknowledged by the masses, with the fate of most nature documentaries confined to weekend specials on PBS, or those endless infotainment loops you see at the local zoo. The career of a nature photographer must be a pretty thankless business - you spend months taking pictures of pissed-off wildlife in the harshest conditions with no amenities, and earn less pay than Tom Cruise probably makes on a lunch break. ![]()
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