Kiddies in need of a shot of respect for mother nature could do worse than settle down for this heart-tugging tale of boy and beast.

Duma is the orphaned cheetah befriended by young Xan (newcomer Alexander Michelatos), who lives on a South African farm with his family.

However, pop ain't gonna last until the final reel, the homestead is going to get repossessed and worst of all - as far as Xan is concerned - Duma will be sent to a refuge.

So, the obvious thing to do is head off into the wilderness and release the cherished cheetah into the wild before he's behind bars at some sort of a zoo.

Director Carroll Ballard has a noble tradition of making these environmentally friendly movie - The Black Stallion was bankrolled by Francis Ford Coppola - and this is the latest in line.

The message is respect for other cultures although that does stop Xan and his pet giving Eamonn Walker's 21st century tribesman a suspicious wide berth.

It mercifully lacks the syrup ladled onto similar fare by Disney but also misses that studio's bottomless purse - it looks like it was made on a shoestring.

Nevertheless, its animal conservationist message can't be faulted and - old-fashioned though it is - the warnings it makes are as relevant now as they ever were.

Tim Evans.