Film review: CallOfTheWild starring Harrison Ford and a dog named Buck
Dogs, in their rambunctious domesticated way, can lead us overly civilized humans a step or two closer to the natural world. So it’s only fitting that the best dog movies have saluted that unruly canine spirit without a lot of artificial flavoring.
Because that’s the film’s way of coddling the audience, treating us as if we needed a collective pat on the head. Buck doesn’t spend a lot time at the house before being stolen by an evil canine kidnapper, who trains him with a club and sells him into service as a sled dog. It’s the 1890s, and Buck lands in the bustling town of Skagway, Alaska, gateway to the Yukon and the dreams of a thousand prospectors.
The filmmakers employ a blend of live action and digital enhancement, and I guess you could say it’s an achievement that we can’t totally tell where the one leaves off and the other begins.
And yet…much as I wish the filmmakers had put more trust in the organic heartbeat of their material, “The Call of the Wild” gets better as it goes along. In Skagway, Buck forms a momentary connection with John Thornton , a furry figure who’s been cut loose from his family by tragedy. Buck finds Thornton’s harmonica in the snow and brings it to him , but we can already tell that this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And the wayplays it, it really is.
In John Thornton, Buck, at last, has found a master who’s worthy of him. That’s why he keeps running away with bottles of whiskey — he can sense how the booze dampens Thornton’s spirit. The two move into an abandoned prospector’s cabin and even hit pay dirt, but the film gets very Zen about this. It’s all about Thornton rediscovering how to live in the moment — which, of course, is what dogs, at least in human society, are the masters of.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Harrison Ford Wanted to Play John Thornton in ‘The Call of the Wild’Joining legends like Charlton Heston and Clarke Gable, who have played the role of John Thornton in “The Call of the Wild,” Harrison Ford now stands next to a CGI-enhanced version of the dog named …
Read more »
I Am Extremely Here for This Clip of Harrison Ford Playing With a CGI DogMy first crush was Peter Pan, which has provided my therapist with a lot of fodder. My second crush was Harrison Ford, who captured my heart so immensely when I first saw Star Wars that I dressed up as Han Solo for no fewer than three Halloweens. It is, therefore, a mild mindfuck that Ford is now into the “old man bonds with dog” phase of his career, having moved past the “killing off his beloved characters in misguided reboots” phase, but for some reason I’m still digging it?
Read more »
Harrison Ford Leaks Details About the New ‘Indiana Jones’ Movie – Watch! (Video)Harrison Ford Leaks Details About the New 'Indiana Jones' Movie - Watch! (Video) (via JustJared)
Read more »
‘The Call of the Wild’: Film ReviewDogs, in their rambunctious domesticated way, can lead us overly civilized humans a step or two closer to the natural world. So it’s only fitting that the best dog movies have saluted that unruly c…
Read more »
Why Harrison Ford Wanted to Play John Thornton in ‘The Call of the Wild’Joining legends like Charlton Heston and Clarke Gable, who have played the role of John Thornton in “The Call of the Wild,” Harrison Ford now stands next to a CGI-enhanced version of the dog named …
Read more »
'The Call of the Wild': Film ReviewHarrison Ford and a CGI-generated dog star in the latest screen adaptation of Jack London's classic 1903 adventure novel. Read the review of CallOfTheWild:
Read more »