Based on the book of the same name, The Call of the Wild follows the story of a dog named Buck who is stolen from his lavish home, and sold off to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon as a work dog in the 1890s. Buck experiences both cruelty and compassion as he goes on the adventure of a lifetime to find his true place in the world.
I grew up reading and loving the book by Jack London for its incredible yet dark story with multiple themes of survival, power, loyalty, instincts, cruelty and companionship layered throughout. There have been multiple adaptations of this story over the years, though I’ve never seen any of them, making this newest adaptation the first movie adaptation I have seen. And I’ve got to say that I was very surprised by this movie.
I was skeptical of this movie based on the first trailers and the fact the movie was rated PG. If you have read the book you would know that it is a very, very bloody and violent story featuring a lot heartbreaking moments and strong themes. This adaptation is certainly tame in comparison to the book, however it does stay true to a lot of the important themes of the book, and doesn’t shy away from some of the dark mature moments the book had. And this movie does also offer its own themes and subjects that honor and expand the original story it was based on.
Buck is a lovable and very inspiring protagonist even when he is essentially a CGI dog for the whole movie. The CGI isn’t hideous by any means but it can be distracting for many, although you can certainly understand why this decision was made. The things Buck and other animals do and go through in this movie I don’t think could have been accomplished using real animals (especially the graphic parts). In a way this reminds me very much of the Planet of the Apes trilogy, where every animal is CGI but they do look good and don’t ruin the movie by any means.
But while the CGI might be lacking, everything else more than makes up for it. This is a beautiful movie. Every shot is filled to the brim with gorgeous cinematography and visuals that bring the world of Jack London’s story to life.
Chris Sanders, who directed Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, poured true heart and effort into this movie, both in the filming and story department. Also, it was surprising to learn that James Mangold was a producer of this movie.
The story follows the book quite accurately in narrative, apart from one major change and the toned-down violence. But despite those changes the story remains strong and expresses the themes of the book very well. It also captures a lot of emotional moments with Buck and even some of the human characters.
As for the cast you have a few surprising faces like Karen Gillian, Dan Stevens, Cara Gee and Omar Sy (who was really good in this movie) who all deliver great performances overall. But by far the biggest stand out is Harrison Ford as John Thornton. He truly saved the movie, delivering a powerful and emotional performance, showing that no matter how old he is he can still be an incredible actor. He is the one person you can truly connect to the most in this story, as you see the journey he and Buck go through together as they search for their destiny.
That’s one of the big themes this movie presents in the overall adventure, finding your true calling, which is something the book also told but I felt that it was visually presented in a fantastic way in this movie. And as a bonus OH MY LORD THE MUSIC IS FANTASTIC.
The gorgeous cinematography, the music, the powerful messages the story gives, the performance given by Harrison Ford… it all culminates in a really great movie, but what will make or break it for you is how you react towards the CGI of the animals. I say you should go see it and give it a fair shot whether you read the book or not. I’m going to give The Call of the Wild an A-.
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