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Created Feb 13, 2011 11:17AM PST • Edited Aug 18, 2018 05:18PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   Cmon, what boy hasn’t hankered after the sabertoothed tiger? This brief NatGeo documentary scratches that itch.

   It turns out that hundreds of these top predators got inadvertently preserved in Los Angeles’ La Brea tar pits, yielding skeletons that provide insight into their unique hunting style. The biggest of big cats, they used their huge saber teeth in surprising fashion.

   Kids of all ages – especially those fascinated by top predators in general and big cats in particular – will find this ¾ hour program intriguing viewing, even though it douses the resonant name “sabertoothed tiger” with the buzzkill of research.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   The video recreations of the sabertooth reanimate this legendary big cat.

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Very Good 3.5

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Good 3.0

11. Direction Good 3.0

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Good 3.0

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.5

    Sabertooth hunting and killing techniques are vividly presented. Cool!

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Fierce 2.4

19. Rudeness Polite 1.0

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

    It turns out the Smilodon – the biggest, baddest sabertooth – weren’t tigers. They were more like a cross between a lion and a bear, with huge natural knives extending from their upper jaws.

    Hence their proper name of sabertooth cat. Even if their common name isn’t as cool as pop culture would have it, their biological name is ironically cool. Smilodon. Now there’s a savagely attractive name for an all-time top predator like the big sabertooth.

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0