Uncensored2008
Libertarian Radical
Jack London's classic book is a favorite subject for Hollywood. This is the 8th film adaptation of the book, but only the second time that the book has been made into film faithfully. This version, directed by Chris Sanders, is completely faithful to the original material, which is one of the major strengths of the film. Not since 1935 has there been a film that attempted to put Jack London's actual tale to celluloid.
The Good:
Jack London wrote a classic, the idea that Hollywood can enhance the story is ludicrous. Staying faithful to the source material is huge win for the film. Over the years too many adaptations have used Call of Wild as an excuse to glorify dog fighting. There is none of that here, thankfully. The single dog fight in the film is subdued, with the focus on the impact of the fight rather than watching dogs tear each other apart. Following the story from San Francisco into the Yukon, the film expertly captures the era of the early 20th Century Alaska gold rush. The cinematography is stunning. This is a high budget film that captures the wild splendor of the Alaskan outback. Wild rivers, imposing mountains, unforgiving tundra, and boom towns, Sanders paints a vivid and convincing portrait of life in the Alaskan wilderness.
Harrison Ford stars as Thorton and does a spectacular job. Thorton is a man who came to the Yukon seeking gold, found it, then found that he loved Alaska more than gold, hence never left to return to civilization. Ford portrays this dichotomy to perfection. Perhaps years of working with Wookies groomed him, his interactions with Buck are spectacular.
Buck is a St. Bernard / Collie mix, and cast as such. In prior movies where Buck was cast as Husky or Malamute, I had to question is the producers had even read the book? Buck is a mutt, a big, strong mutt.
The Bad:
CGI. Early in the film I questioned if I was watching a live action movie or a Pixar film. In earlier parts of the movie I was expecting Buck to start talking, because cartoon dogs talk, and Buck is a cartoon dog. This isn't to say that the CGI isn't well done, but it is still CGI. Earlier I mentioned a single dog fight as Buck moves to become pack leader by defeating Spitz. The fight itself is nearly LoonyToons level in absurdity with dogs trying to flip each other rather than teeth and claws.
Even though Buck never broke the cartoon image with me, he is still a loveable characters. While I never could accept Buck as a real dog, Harrison Ford does, and expertly interacts with a creature that you know will be added long after his scenes are filmed.
The Virdict:
This film does almost everything right, it really only has one flaw, but that flaw is a doozy. Live animals are a major challenge, but the decision to use pure CGI for the central characters is a mistake.
I rate Call of the Wild - 7 out of 10
The Good:
Jack London wrote a classic, the idea that Hollywood can enhance the story is ludicrous. Staying faithful to the source material is huge win for the film. Over the years too many adaptations have used Call of Wild as an excuse to glorify dog fighting. There is none of that here, thankfully. The single dog fight in the film is subdued, with the focus on the impact of the fight rather than watching dogs tear each other apart. Following the story from San Francisco into the Yukon, the film expertly captures the era of the early 20th Century Alaska gold rush. The cinematography is stunning. This is a high budget film that captures the wild splendor of the Alaskan outback. Wild rivers, imposing mountains, unforgiving tundra, and boom towns, Sanders paints a vivid and convincing portrait of life in the Alaskan wilderness.
Harrison Ford stars as Thorton and does a spectacular job. Thorton is a man who came to the Yukon seeking gold, found it, then found that he loved Alaska more than gold, hence never left to return to civilization. Ford portrays this dichotomy to perfection. Perhaps years of working with Wookies groomed him, his interactions with Buck are spectacular.
Buck is a St. Bernard / Collie mix, and cast as such. In prior movies where Buck was cast as Husky or Malamute, I had to question is the producers had even read the book? Buck is a mutt, a big, strong mutt.
The Bad:
CGI. Early in the film I questioned if I was watching a live action movie or a Pixar film. In earlier parts of the movie I was expecting Buck to start talking, because cartoon dogs talk, and Buck is a cartoon dog. This isn't to say that the CGI isn't well done, but it is still CGI. Earlier I mentioned a single dog fight as Buck moves to become pack leader by defeating Spitz. The fight itself is nearly LoonyToons level in absurdity with dogs trying to flip each other rather than teeth and claws.
Even though Buck never broke the cartoon image with me, he is still a loveable characters. While I never could accept Buck as a real dog, Harrison Ford does, and expertly interacts with a creature that you know will be added long after his scenes are filmed.
The Virdict:
This film does almost everything right, it really only has one flaw, but that flaw is a doozy. Live animals are a major challenge, but the decision to use pure CGI for the central characters is a mistake.
I rate Call of the Wild - 7 out of 10
