loading loading...

Two Brothers Details

2004 Certificate U
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 11,464 members

French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud is known for tackling profound subject matter in films such as QUEST FOR FIRE, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, and ENEMY AT THE GATES. Occasionally he takes refuge in lighter films. After his first successful animal tale, THE BEAR (1989), Annaud's second wildlife film is TWO BROTHERS. Here the focus .. Read more

Starring Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Freddie Highmore
Director Jean-Jacques Annaud
Genres Action/Adventure, Family

loading loading...

Two Brothers

French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud is known for tackling profound subject matter in films such as QUEST FOR FIRE, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, and ENEMY AT THE GATES. Occasionally he takes refuge in lighter films. After his first successful animal tale, THE BEAR (1989), Annaud's second wildlife film is TWO BROTHERS. Here the focus is two rambunctious, adorable tigers--Kumal and Sangha--who live among ancient temple ruins in the Southeast Asian jungle. They become victims of the garish and gluttonous era of British Colonialism in the early 1900s. Aidan McRory (Guy Pearce), a well-known explorer, hosts lavish hunting parties that are in stark contrast with the untamed wilderness. When he stumbles on the tiger family, McRory kills the adult male tiger, but takes pity on Kumal, the traumatized cub left behind. When McRory is arrested for looting ancient artifacts, little Kumal is sold to the circus where local ringleaders beat him into submission and break his spirit. Meanwhile, Sangha, the second cub, is discovered by Raoul (Freddie Highmore), the son of a powerful local administrator (Jean-Claude Dreyfus), but he is later sent to His Excellency, The Prince (Oanh Nyguen), where he is trained to be a vicious killer. Similar to animal flicks like LONG JOURNEY HOME and NEVER CRY WOLF, Annaud further closes the gap between wildlife documentaries and high drama with the help of topnotch actors such as Pearce and longtime co-writer Alain Godard (with whom he worked on THE NAME OF THE ROSE and ENEMY AT THE GATES).

Starring Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Freddie Highmore
Director Jean-Jacques Annaud
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 45 mins
Certificate Certificate U
Collections 100 Big Adventures
Genres Action/Adventure, Family
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 06 Dec 2004
Production year: 2004
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (5) of Two Brothers

    View all
  • 3 stars out of 5

    As he proved with 1988's The Bear, director Jean-Jacques Annaud has a way with animals, and the tigers are undoubted stars of this uneven adventure set in French Indochina during the 1920s. The film traces the progress of siblings Kumal and Sangha from playful cubs to powerful adults (renowned trainer Thierry Le Portier used thirty animals to portray them at various stages of their development), and the early sequences in which the young tigers find their feet are utterly enchanting. However, once big-game hunter Guy Pearce stumbles across the family, capturing the adorably clumsy Kumal, the action is hijacked by humans — who are nowhere near as engaging. Despite that, and some melodramatic plot twists, this tiger tale is consistently watchable and often irresistible.

    • Radio Times
  • 1 stars out of 4

    Set in French Indo-China of the 1920s this offers some splendid animal photography combined with a lacklustre story, involving a playboy prince and a great white hunter helping to bring tourism to the area.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of Two Brothers

    View all
  • 76 out of 78 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    superb.........

    this is a superb action packed, heart warming story about two tiger cubs, who are taken away from their mother and about the lives they lead afterwards. The music is lovely, and the photography is awe inspiring. however this film might upset young children because there are disturbing scenes of mistreatment of the tigers, that seem very real. parental control is a must.

    The extras on the DVD are excellent. There is a half hour documentary on the lives of Tigers and loads of featurettes covering the making of the movie.

    well worth renting out.

  • Most recent members' review of Two Brothers

    View all
  • 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Gorgeous tigers

    Lovely, touching film. The cinematography is fantastic, the tigers are amazing and accompanied by great atmospheric music. The plot is very touching, my 9 year old cried his eyes out when they began to fight!!(actually so did I) Had to take it round for Grandma to watch and then watch a couple of times more before I was allowed to send it back.

      • Lesley Spicer from Gosport, Hants, England
  • Image gallery

    View all
  • More like this

    View all

Rating breakdown

11,464 Member ratings
  • 100
937
  • 90
878
  • 80
1,395
  • 70
1,709
  • 60
2,301
  • 50
1,565
  • 40
1,100
  • 30
768
  • 20
542
  • 10
269

Related user collection

by: A customer from London

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop


    • Two Brothers
    • DVD: £5.43
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £15.79 (you save: 66%)
    • French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud is known for tackling profound subject matter in films such as QUEST FOR FIRE, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, and ENEMY AT THE GATES. Occasionally he takes refuge in ...