| Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins | 
 enlarge | List Price: $19.98
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 11 reviews)
Sales Rank: 9647
Category: DVD
Actor: Whoopi Goldberg
Director: Mike Slee;chris Barker
Publisher: The Weinstein Company
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
Label: The Weinstein Company
Format: Color, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 75 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.7
MPN: 81409
UPC: 796019814096
EAN: 0796019814096
ASIN: B0017LGQHM
Release Date: June 3, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Every great story has a magical beginning especially when that story involves the real-life adventures of a unique family of meerkats known as the Whiskers and their most beloved member Flower. As prequel to the Meerkat Manor television series this feature film traces the rise of Flower from a young meerkat pup to the leader of the pack. Watch as Flower blooms into a remarkable matriarch and forges a legacy amidst the unforgiving landscape of one of the harshest deserts on the planet the Kalahari. Narrated by Academy Award -winning actress Whoopi Goldberg Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins will warm your heart and leave you awed by the magic of Flower s journey.System Requirements:Running Time: 75 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:DOCUMENTARIES/BIOGRAPHY UPC:796019814096 Manufacturer No:81409
Amazon.com
Popping Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins into the DVD player and pressing play seems like a guaranteed win-win, and ultimately it is, but oddly enough Whoopi Goldberg's narration detracts from some other wonderful things happening in this feature film. Based on the television series narrated by Sean Astin, this elaborate story of the Whiskers clan crossing the "Great Divide" (the highway) to look for alternate territory is sweet and funny, thanks to the meerkats rather than the sometimes sappy script. In it, Flower is born into a charismatic litter, including Petal, Thumper, and Hazel, who reveal wilderness to be a dangerous place. As Flower witnesses repeated Whisker clan hardships, including battles with various impressive predators, Flower grows into the natural leader that she eventually becomes. Over the course of the story, one meets several matriarchs, both of the Whiskers clan and of their warring tribe, the Lazuli gang. At times, the narration is spot-on, while at other times Goldberg's narration teeters confusingly between documentary and fantasy, between adult and child humor. Not to say there is anything inappropriate here for kids. In fact, one of the films' best attributes is its ability to show death as an integrated part of the life cycle. Additionally, it is a pleasure to witness meerkats at close range, especially during several clan battles set underground. (Baby meerkats abound throughout, making for footage that is quite irresistible!) Told as a folk tale about animals and land who "share secrets every day," Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins may not be Milo & Otis or Babe, but I'll take baby meerkats any day. --Trinie Dalton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Disappointing: Not What It's Cracked Up to Be July 13, 2008
Weak script, not enough real film footage and detail about Flower, skims and skips too much, not satisfying. Not like the TV show of Meerkat Manor. I bought the film to watch on my own time. If I had known it wasn't worth it, I wouldn't have bothered to buy it. Was a real fan of the TV show.
 Not so bad. June 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In my opinion, the movie really isn't as bad as everyone says; I've got one problem with it, and that is the actual footage of the Meerkats shown in the movie are just random Meerkats that basically happened to 'do what the film crew wanted them to,' and when they did, they edited the tape together to give us the movie. If the movie was actually filmed like the Meerkat Manor series in which the actual named Meerkats are being filmed in their lives, then the movie would have been much more pleasing.
Whoopi's narrative is a bit different from what viewers may be used to, but I think she adds something 'special' and different for the movie, since the movie IS a bit different from the series. It's a good 'prequel' to the series for someone who has never seen it.
I still favour the series over the movie, but the movie is still worth seeing if you love meerkats and are open-minded to a different narrator.
 Meerkat Manor For Dummies June 29, 2008
That should have been the title of this fiasco. Personally Flower was never my favorite meerkat, i always found her cold and harsh,but that is not the problem here. The problems are:
1. Whoopi: her narration is distracting and annoying.
2. The fact that it is a movie and has to be condensed, it loses all thrill of what is going to happen next.
But my main gripe is that this "movie" isn't actual footage of how things happened it is meerkat "actors" that were filmed untill they got the necessary footage needed to fill in the story. If they didnt have actual Flower footage they shouldnt have bothered making this movie. As it is its as fake as "THE HILLS" and not even half as entertaining. Also i felt the script was dumbed down, like it was talking down to the viewer.
As for season four of MM im not afraid of change, is the same show but with a different narrator. I find it as entertaining as it always has been.
But this movie should be skipped.
EP
 For Flower June 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This sweet little film is a tribute to Flower, the beloved Mama Meerkat who died during the filming of the third season. I do not know how accurate the storytelling and filming actually are, but it doesn't matter. This is a nice Mother's Day gift about a smart, brave, beautiful little animal and her huge, colorful family.
My only regret is that Sean Astin, the narrator of the original three seasons. did not provide the narration for this last film, dedicated to Flower. Apparently Whoopie Goldberg is the narrator for the fourth season (the "Next Generation" pun inescapable, especially with Whoopi, to Star trek fans). I would have preferred Sean Astin, but this does nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the film. Buy it and give it to a favorite mother.
Where's Hannibal when you need him? June 18, 2008
SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH that we lost Flower and Mozart in season three, the show's producer, Carolyn Hawkins had to take Sean Astin from us, too. Fans had every reason to expect Astin to return to narrate future seasons - and specials such as "The Story Begins." He led us through Flower's life as a leader of her tribe. Why shouldn't we expect him to tell us about her pup-hood?
Apparently, we are wrong. A letter from Animal Planet advises that human meerkat management decided it was time for women to take over narration duties. Management - I read that "marketing" - wanted a lighter tone: "With ... Flower's passing the show's producer wanted to signal a change for the Whiskers clan and felt the best way to do that was with a new narrator. When Meerkat Manor premieres ... Emmy-award winning Stockard Channing will lend a headstrong voice to the Manor."
Nice call on the "lighter tone" for women, folks. Thanks bunches.
Here's the gripe. Why tamper with perfection? "Meerkat Manor" has become an Animal Planet icon. Ratings are heads and tails better than spin offs such as "Orangutan Island" and the, frankly, offensive "Lemur Kingdom" that cites its critters with stereotypical hip hop characteristics. Not a show I'd want children to watch.
I love Whoopi Goldberg, who narrates "The Story Begins," the story of young Flower. I also enjoy and respect Stockard Channing, but neither have Astin's resonance. Couple Goldberg's voice with the saccharine sweet score that accompanies "Story" and you've got a nauseating 75 minutes to get through.
Meerkat fans should be sure to pick up season three with its incredible true life story and compassionate narrator, who leads us through the triumphs and tragedies of the Kalahari. Don't insult the journey with the new marketing. Do yourself a favor, too, and avoid "The Story Begins." Here, the story ends.
- Kay Reynolds, The Virginian-Pilot
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