Writer/director Carroll Ballard (The Black Stallion) once again explores the enchanting bond between children and animals with this initially clunky but eventually graceful story about a South African boy (Alexander Michaeletos) and his pet cheetah. After some contrivances, including a confrontation between the cat and the requisite school bullies, the movie finally settles into its central adventure: the pair’s journey, on their own, to set the animal free. Combining the wilderness with whimsy, Duma stays wild at heart even as it tugs at ours.
