The film’s style, to put it bluntly, is more than a bit fake.Įarly on, when we meet Buck, a St.
That’s because “The Call of the Wild,” directed by Chris Sanders (the co-director, with Dean DeBlois, of “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Lilo & Stitch”), is a semi-live-action film that nevertheless bounces along with the glibly overdone visual logic of an old Disney dog comedy from the 1960s. It was produced by 20th Century Studios, back when the company had a “Fox” in its name, but in this case there’s something almost poetically appropriate about the fact that the film is now emerging from the gates of the Disney empire.
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It’s a shame he never did the same with Chewie.“ The Call of the Wild,” an adaptation of the Jack London classic that’s true to the spirit, if not always the letter, of the 1903 novel (which I admit, as a kid, I could never get through), is a dog movie that’s more concocted than it has any right to be. It’s also worth it to see Harrison Ford do a harmonica duet with a lovable shaggy co-pilot. But there’s a lot to like here from a warm relaxed Omar Sy to comedic beats that actually land and that sense of assurance being in safe filmmaking hands.
But the upside is that Sanders can design amped up dynamic shots - the sledding sequences are exhilarating - that, combined with John Powell’s stirring score, give the film confidence and verve.ĭie-hard fans of London’s novel will find the savagery and primitivism AWOL. Flitting between obviously animated to completely photo-real animals, the digital menagerie has pros and cons Buck’s performance is so attenuated - he has the range of Joaquin Phoenix and the comic timing of Phoebe Waller Bridge - that it works against you believing he is a real dog - at one point during a fight for supremacy over the sledding squad, Buck does a WWE move on rival wolf Spitz.
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What follows is standard but well done wilderness adventure fare (falling through ice - check avalanches - check rough rivers - check), often beautiful thanks to Kaminski’s full fat lensing, eschewing the de-saturated look of much of his work with Spielberg. Starting with a blink and you’ll miss it turn from Bradley Whitford as a wealthy judge as the muscular mutt causes havoc in a grand house, Buck (performed by movement specialist Terry Notary) moves from a sledding delivery team lead by Perrault (Sy) to dastardly dandy Hal (an overzealous Dan Stevens in a Tartan suit and wax ‘tache) to outdoorsman John Thornton (Ford), who, having left his wife after the death of their son, is a lost soul who could do with Buck’s revitalising presence The USP - all the animals are digital in line with Disney’s admirable policy of not using real animals on set - bears variable results but the film is at times charming, at times stirring and mostly entertaining.įollowing a ‘70’s Blue Peter style animation voiced by Ford setting up the Gold Rush, Call Of The Wild settles into that sub-genre of movies that follows a dog from owner to owner.
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Directed by Chris Sanders ( How To Train Your Dragon), written by Michael Green ( Logan, Blade Runner 2049), shot by Steven Spielberg DP supremo Janusz Kaminski and starring Harrison Ford, this latest adaptation of Jack London’s celebrated 1903 novel (previous versions have starred Clark Gable, Charlton Heston, Rutger Hauer and Charlie Brown) about a dog’s foray through the Gold Rush is broad but entertaining. Aptly enough, the dog-centric Call Of The Wild comes with a strong pedigree.
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