After her grandfather’s death, 20-year-old Alma decides to go back to her childhood home – a little island in the heart of a majestic forest. While there, she rescues two helpless cubs: a wolf and a lion. They forge an inseparable bond, but their world soon collapses as the forest ranger discovers the animals and takes them away. The two cub brothers must now embark on a treacherous journey to be reunited with one another and Alma once more. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Katherine S. comments, “The Wolf and the Lion is a great family movie for young animal lovers. The sets and locations are very pretty, and the music is lovely. The storyline is unique, although sometimes predictable.” See her full review below.
The Wolf and the Lion
By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14
The Wolf and the Lion is a great family movie for young animal lovers. The sets and locations are very pretty, and the music is lovely. The storyline is unique, although sometimes predictable.
This story follows a 20-year-old young woman named Alma (Molly Kunz), an orphaned musician. After her grandfather dies, she inherits his house only to find that he had befriended a she-wolf and her pup. Then, after exploring the crash site of a plane, Alma finds a lion cub. The pup, Mozart, and the cub, Dreamer, soon develop an inseparable bond. But when they are separated, all seems lost. What lengths will they go to see each other again?
The most notable performances are probably those of the animal actors. The wolf and lion that play Mozart and Dreamer are not only best friends on the screen, but best friends in real life. They are now in a Canadian sanctuary where they will spend the rest of their days together. Along with the animals, Molly Kunz also has a strong performance. She really seems to care for Mozart and Dreamer, and her struggle of how to best take care of them is very visible. Also, Alma is a pianist, and Molly plays piano, too. The sets and locations of The Wolf and the Lion are stunning. The island that Alma lives on has a gorgeous lake and beautiful forests, and her house feels very homey and comforting. Overall, the story of this film is distinctive, but the ending, as well as some other scenes, is somewhat expectable.
The messages of the movie are that you are the only person who knows what’s best for you and that animal welfare is important. This filmdepicts hiding and raising two large, potentially dangerous animals in your home.
I give The Wolf and the Lion 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 7 to 18, plus adults. This movie releases in theaters February 4, 2022.
Keywords: Sylvain Proulx, Claude Léger, Jonathan Vanger, Jacques Perrin, Nicolas Elghozi, Valentine Perrin, Gilles de Maistre, Catherine Camborde, Molly Kunz, Graham Greene, Charlie Carrick, Derek Johns, Rhy Slack, Evan Buliung, Rebecca Croll, Victor Cornfoot, Daniel Brochu
