ST. LOUIS — CGI dogs... can you dig it?
That's the mountain a viewer will have to climb over in order to appreciate Chris Sanders' adaptation of Jack London's famous kids novel, "The Call of the Wild." If you can't get over the CGI terriers running around the great outdoors for two hours, seeking out adventures and learning a few things along the way, this movie may not be for you.
I can assure you it is a movie for Harrison Ford loyalists. The actor who is known for various legendary roles such as Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Jack Ryan, Dr. Richard Kimble, and Richard Deckard strips down the action hero mystique to play John Thornton, just one of the many humans that good old Buck (motion capture work from Terry Notary) runs into along the way of his adventures from rich family pet to imprisoned animal to dog sled runner (led by Omar Sy's Perrault), and then into Thornton's care.
Yes, this film wasn't exactly marketed accurately. It was most likely marketed wisely due to Ford's reach to all demographics, but the poster and trailers leads one to believe it's about an old man and his lovely dog. That is not the case, and while that doesn't sink the film, I found myself wanting more of these two interacting on screen.
There's something about Ford's pathos and ability to evoke emotion out of the smallest crumbs located in the script. Playing an old, crotchety widow who has his world thawed by a lost dog is goldmine territory for the aging thespian, and that is where the movie has its best moments. A man and his best friend.
Outside of a thrilling underwater ice rescue sequence, the rest of the film is just fine. Passable adventure intermittently littered with cotton candy cinema fluff, cheesy and familiar messages, and an ending that one can see coming from a mile away, even if you are the one who either didn't read or forget all about London's book.
You'll smile when Buck nearly knocks over a vase or encounters snow for the first time, and your heart will be warmed when Ford and the dog share a harmonica on a cold night out in the woods, piecing together a tune like good friends do. You'll roll your eyes at the standard villain (Dan Stevens), a rich gold seeker (this does take place during the famous Gold Rush) who runs afoul of John and in turn, Buck. It all ends the way you think it will.
Outside of Ford's performance, there isn't a real noteworthy element to this movie. It comes and goes without being a complete waste of time, but doesn't truly leave a dent in you. Lovers of the book may disagree, if they can appreciate the CGI work. I do think it was the only route to get London's work off the page and onto the screen. Using real dogs would have felt half-baked and just wouldn't ring true in some of the action sequences.
Should you rush out and go see this film right now? No. But if you want to take the kids to something they'll enjoy and you won't need a bottle of wine to endure, there are worse choices than "The Call of the Wild."
Going into it, I was hoping Ford and some whimsical heart could make it worthwhile. While my hopes were moderately met, I don't think I can give this film a glowing grade. The majority of it feels formulaic and insured from the first reel.
Whether it demands an in-theater viewing depends on your need for the material, feelings on CGI-rendered animals, and how much Ford is needed to make this car run properly. Some movies arrive on your doorstep and while you don't exactly dislike them, the margin for recommending them isn't exactly as wide as you think.
"The Call of the Wild" runs and operates just fine, and should warm a cynic's heart. There's tenderness in certain scenes, but overall, it feels remedial far too often.
I'd save it for DVD.
