90. The Call Of The Wild; movie review

THE CALL OF THE WILD
Cert PG
100 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild violence, threat

I envy those people who have had a dog and have experienced the bond that canines and humans share.
It is certain that among them were those in Nottingham Cineworld who were laughing at the antics portrayed by Buck the St. Bernard/Scotch Collie.
Well, actually it was a CGI representation of a dog with uncanny human-like instincts.
Chris Sanders' Call Of the Wild is based on a 1903 novel with the backdrop of the late 19th century Klondike gold rush.
It stars Harrison Ford, initially as the narrator and then on-screen as a wily old fella, John Thornton, in need of one last adventure.
In the early part of the film, he describes how Buck is stolen from the home of his owner, a Californian judge.
He suffers abuse before being sold to a man (Omar Sy) who delivers mail on a dog sled and needs his power as part of his team.
His new owner is kind and, in return, Buck becomes loyal and courageous in defence of him and his wife (Cara Gee).
Meanwhile, he has to learn the politics of a canine team in which there can be only one leader of the pack.
Finally, he ends up with the aforementioned Thornton who, unlike others thirsting for gold, is keen to explore the Yukon, merely for the sake of it.
And man and dog do their thing - developing a bond while finding each other.
That jars a little when writing about a dog but this is much more Buck's voyage of discovery than it is John's.
There is no master/pet relationship here. They are inter-dependent and that is why the film will score with dog lovers.
However, it is not being enough of a hit with them. The Call Of the Wild cost a staggering $125m to make and is scoring nowhere near enough ticket sales to recoup the money.
That is particularly ironic as one would have imagined CGI to be cheaper than the real thing and the scenic shots were filmed much nearer to home than northern Canada.
Nevertheless, it is a huge budget for a cheesy, easygoing but unexceptional family film of this type.

Reasons to watch: If you are a devoted dog lover
Reasons to avoid: If you don't like cheesy movies

Laughs: A couple of chuckles for me - many more for others in the audience
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for at least 9,000 years and were important for transportation in Arctic areas until the introduction of semi-trailer trucks, snowmobiles and aeroplanes in the 20th century, hauling supplies in areas that were inaccessible by other methods.

The final word. Harrison Ford: "It seemed a little weird, but Terry Notary, who stood in for the dog, is an accomplished actor and a gifted Cirque du Soleil gymnast. So he developed the skill to move like a dog and to help everyone organise their eye-line, where they were looking. For me also, I had the opportunity to create an emotional relationship with the character that Terry was playing. And, well, we crossed some biological lines." Black Girl Nerds

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