Call of the Wild

After dog Buck is kidnapped from his beautiful home in California, he finds himself in frigid Alaska. Here, Buck must struggle through the wilderness as a sled dog before meeting loner John Thornton (Harrison Ford) after a serious injury. The latter lovingly cares for the dog and a deep bond develops between the two. But when John incurs the wrath of a fanatical gold miner (Dan Stevens), it becomes extremely dangerous for the old man and his faithful companion.

Call of the Wild is based on the legendary adventure novel by Jack London. Director Chris Sanders has directed an adventure film for the whole family that boasts of being a blend of live-action and animated films that photo-realistically integrates computer-generated animals into the action. Buck was not embodied by a real dog, but played by arguably Hollywood's most famous motion coach, Terry Notary. And it is here that the film's major weakness is revealed. Notary is a master of his craft, no question. Still, his movements always seem acted out, a touch too artificial. Yes, dogs do such movements like Buck - but just differently. Moreover, despite all the technical perfection, you can see that the animals - as well as some of the landscapes - are not real. And that takes away a lot of the charm of the whole thing.

Another problem of the film is its story. Especially at the beginning it seems to be a bit episodic and later on it can't decide if the focus is on John, who is torn out of his grief and loneliness after a tragic loss by Buck, or on the dog and his search for his destiny. Characters pop up and then disappear quite quickly, while the actual main characters are deprived of time to develop as a result. Too bad.

But Call of the Wild can also score with some well-acted sequences that should be engaging and exciting, especially for younger viewers. And Harrison Ford is just fine as an old hermit. The same can't be said of Dan Stevens, who I otherwise hold in high regard, unfortunately. His character is way too overdrawn, which is why he doesn't really seem threatening, but rather ridiculous. All in all, this Jack London adaptation is not a total failure, but unfortunately not the great adventure film it could have been. For slightly older kids and for viewers who like classic adventure material and don't mind a somewhat artificial look, well worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp