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The Call of the Wild Image

The Call of the Wild

48
Metascore
44 reviews
6.4
User Score
104 ratings

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Director: Chris Sanders
Production: 3 Arts Entertainment
Movie Details: Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly
Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail delivery dog sled team--and later its leader--Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately finding his true place in the world and becoming his own master.
Genre(s): Adventure Drama Animation Family
MPAA Rating: PG
Production: 3 Arts Entertainment
Runtime: 100 min
Home Release Date: May 12, 2020
Countries: US CA
Languages: English French
Director: Chris Sanders
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(44)
Metascore Mixed or average reviews
13 Positive Ratings 29%
27 Mixed Ratings 61%
4 Negative Ratings 9%
75
Rex Reed | Feb 21, 2020
"Buck is lovable forever. If you think he’s perfection on four legs, he is. If you think he’s the most human dog since Lassie, Benji and Rin Tin Tin, he isn’t. Because Buck, you see, is computer-generated. Never mind. I guarantee you will love him anyway." ... Read full review
75
"The film’s avoidance of cruel Gold Rush realities is more than made up for by its spirited kineticism and by its deepening of the man-dog bond that forms the heart of London’s story. " ... Read full review
63
James Berardinelli | Feb 21, 2020
"Harrison Ford gives as dignified a performance as he has managed in many years. And the cinematography (by veteran Janusz Kaminski) is glorious. But the tonal shifts threaten to cause whiplash and the “improvements” made to London’s book (presumably to make it more cinematic) undermine both the thematic and narrative integrity of the tale." ... Read full review
60
Owen Gleiberman | Feb 17, 2020
"For all the wholesome cheesiness of much of the film, you’d have to have a pretty hard heart not to be touched by it." ... Read full review
50
"The problem is less the technology, which is very impressive, than it is the uneven storyline, which zigzags from slapstick to poignance to action." ... Read full review
50
Allison Shoemaker | Feb 17, 2020
"It is neither disaster nor dream, landing firmly somewhere in the disappointing middle." ... Read full review
0
Joe Morgenstern | Feb 20, 2020
"Buck is so precocious, such a relentlessly clever construction, that he leaves nothing to our imagination. He’s the soul-free star of a movie that’s dead in the icy water." ... Read full review
(45)
User Score Generally favorable reviews
56 Positive Ratings 53%
38 Mixed Ratings 36%
10 Negative Ratings 9%
10
NathanB4567
Feb 21, 2020
Great, just like the book. Suitable for all ages, as it is not as violent as the book. While some parts are dragged on, the rest of the movieGreat, just like the book. Suitable for all ages, as it is not as violent as the book. While some parts are dragged on, the rest of the movie is an incredible adventure Expand
10
zmgalen2000
Feb 23, 2020
A tearjerking TAIL of wonder, love, and instinct, The Call of the Wild is one of the first truly memorable films of 2020. The movie will takeA tearjerking TAIL of wonder, love, and instinct, The Call of the Wild is one of the first truly memorable films of 2020. The movie will take you on a whimsical path, leaving you laughing, crying, and wanting it to carry on endlessly. Buck and John share growth and a journey that is nothing but perfect. Is the dog CGI? Yes. Is it noticeable? Somewhat. Does it detract from the film, itself? Not at all. Expand
9
Kryosar
Jun 27, 2020
This was a wonderful adaptation of a great book. It was nice to finally have a movie actually focus on Buck. Sims of the CGI could have beenThis was a wonderful adaptation of a great book. It was nice to finally have a movie actually focus on Buck. Sims of the CGI could have been better served to use practical effects, but overall this is a great family movie, and deserved better than to have theaters shut down on it. Expand
7
Creeper3455
Mar 1, 2020
The 20th Century Studios logo, compared to Buck (in terms of VFX), is horrifying. Still hard to believe Disney wanted to chunk Fox off theirThe 20th Century Studios logo, compared to Buck (in terms of VFX), is horrifying. Still hard to believe Disney wanted to chunk Fox off their logos to get "mooarrr companyyyysss".

Well, uhh... Congrats to Chris Sanders. He may be the only director I know who successfully translated from Animation (with stuff like Lilo & Stich and The Croods) to Live-Action since...I don't know, Henry Selick? (remember Monkeybone?)

Because, while it has his problems, The Call Of The Wild so much feels like it wants to become an epic while it's surrounded by the "Kids Movie" territory that blocks it from reaching its full potential, especially when it has moments of interchangeable pacing that feel hollow or random at times.

An epic that features a CG Dog that may bother a lot of the Audience (it didn't to me), but at the same time resonate WITH the Audience, thanks to the fact that it's essentially a Dog hybrid of Forrest Gump and Cast Away...oh, and it has Harrison Ford narrating too.

And it's not that Buck bothered me because it was everything else that was bothering me. Either the rest of the animals is CG, there's a colossal waste of Karen Gillian (who's in it just as much as a Stan Lee cameo in an MCU Flick) and a rather bizarre and cartoonish plot point in the 3rd Act.

But again, it's all salvaged by the journey of Buck, which is fueled by a nice message about "finding your place in the world" and the fact that A-listers like Harrison Ford and Omar Sy are there to carry the movie "somewhere", since a major part of the movie is just stuff happening for no reason (despite knowing the mission of selected part).

Not only that but also the fact that Dan Stevens plays more of a beast in here than the actual Beast in the Beauty And The Beast remake, playing this selfish, idiotic Circus(?) leader who hates everything but that sweet sweet gold.

So yeah, I liked The Call Of The Wild, and while I'm sure you won't love it or something (the Box Office speaks for itself), at least you can't deny that it had a story and a really good one at that.
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6
AlphaRebel
Jun 22, 2020
As a family adventure focused on a dog the movie is fine. I know the lead creatures were CGI but I thought it was animated from a real dog orAs a family adventure focused on a dog the movie is fine. I know the lead creatures were CGI but I thought it was animated from a real dog or a prop but having seen some of the behind the scenes footage (props to corridor digital on YT for this one) I have to give additional props to Harrison ford for being able to keep a straight face and act as well as he does against a guy in a mocap suit pretending to be a dog! (it's ludicrous sight to see, look it up and giggle on YT) Expand
6
SpacemanGary
Feb 27, 2020
Overall I'm against resurrecting dead actors through CGI, but they did a semi-convincing job with Harrison Ford. Gives me hope for that newOverall I'm against resurrecting dead actors through CGI, but they did a semi-convincing job with Harrison Ford. Gives me hope for that new James Dean Vietnam movie. Expand
0
TomHug
Apr 10, 2020
This is a loathsome, pandering, mess of a movie. The CGI is too slick by half, and the anthropomorphization of the animals would have DisneyThis is a loathsome, pandering, mess of a movie. The CGI is too slick by half, and the anthropomorphization of the animals would have Disney animators rolling their eyes and saying, "Really?!?" Harrison Ford gets a wide degree of latitude from me under most circumstances, but this movie should never have been made. I'm trying to imagine if I would like this movie if I were 8 years old, or had children who were. I can't see it. Ugh. A disappointing waste of 1 hour, 39 minutes (which seemed much longer) Expand