“Beast,” in which a family finds itself hunted down by a rogue lion, is an animal-goes-wild tale in the tradition of “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” “Cujo” and even parts of “The Revenant.” There are thrills to be had here, even if the film doesn’t add up to a satisfying whole.
Idris Elba, who makes any movie better, plays Nate Samuels, a physician who has brought his two teenagedaughters to South Africa, where his late wife grew up and where an old friend, wildlife expert Martin (Sharlto Copley, solid), is conveniently on hand to be their safari guide.
After a compact, effective prologue in which a group of poachers is revengedby an angry lion, “Beast” spends about 10 belabored minutes trying to set up Dr. Samuels’ painful family situation. But the character setup comes off as perfunctory instead of illuminating. We don’t learn much about these folks, and we don’t buy the premise that this man would drag his impressionable daughters to the African savanna, which is hardly a petting zoo.
Fortunately, it doesn’t matter a whole lot, because the harrowing, if predictable, action heats up considerably when the family goes out for a jaunt and the lion, whose family has been killed by poachers, begins marauding. The king of the jungle apparently doesn’t distinguish between murderous profiteers and the more benign folks who want to protect the animals.
The movie’s midsection, by far its most effective part, offers its share of heart-pounding moments. One of the bestis when the avenginglion pounces on a jeep, trying to paw its way inside. The editing here is excellent, a mix of claustrophobic close-ups and CGI effects. When the action moves outside the vehicle, director Baltasar Kormakur often employs long tracking shots that heighten the suspense and chaos.
Throughout “Beast,” we are left to questionwhether we should be rooting against anyone. Is this a battle of two family men, one who has daughters and one who has a pride? We certainly don’t want Dr. Samuels and his daughters to come to harm, yet at the same time, we feel something for these animals that are being slain by evil poachers. Indeed, the “beast” here is an entirely different creature than a ferocious T. rexor a hungry great white shark: We actually understand the motivation of the lion, even if we have to suspend our disbelief to do so.
These more profound matters are not lost on themakers of this action thriller, but ultimately, they can’t make them pay off. The finale, an improbable but ferociously filmed showdown between Samuels and the lion, ends up being anticlimactic, and the epilogue — a message of family healing — seems tacked-on and shallow. Some may even wonder about the fate of the lions, but they are nowhere to be found.
L“Beast”:Thriller. Starring Idris Elba and Sharlto Copley. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. (R. 93 minutes.) In theaters starting Friday, Aug. 19.