Duma

I buy my fair share of gadgets, and I lose interest in most of them. My Palm Pilot is in a box in the basement, along with several cell phones, an iPod, and miscellaneous other electronic bric-a-brac. There is one gadget I’m still in love with, however: my enormous TV. Why? Because of movies like DUMA.

DUMA, the story of a cheetah and the boy who loves him, is an astonishingly beautiful film. A cross between Huckleberry Finn and “Wild Kingdom,” DUMA features South African landscapes and wildlife cinematography that literally made my jaw drop. From cheetahs sprinting through the savannah to crocodiles hunting in a river to our hero pushing a motorcycle across some of the most desolate real estate you’ll ever see, DUMA put my TV through its paces to glorious effect.

The story? As I alluded earlier, think Huckleberry Finn in the South African wilderness. It has the requisite character arcs, reversals, and pathos you’d expect from any well-crafted movie, and the story kept my family engaged from the first minute to the last. But don’t see this one for the story. DUMA’s all about the photography, wowing you again and again with “how did they get that shot” moments.

I’ve owned a lot of gadgets, but man am I glad I got that enormous TV so I can bask in all that movies like DUMA have to offer. Now, when will an affordable Blu-ray player hit the market?