The Call of the Wild (2020)

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I couldn't catch The Call of the Wild when it premiered. Therefore, I didn't remember a single thing about it when I went to watch it yesterday at an empty screening (yei). Once again, I stayed away from trailers, but a few images popped up at the time. The CGI dog didn't look good at all. With reviews coming out and weeks passing by, I couldn't avoid concluding that most of the negative opinions are due to the "distracting animation". Knowing that the visuals would probably be disappointing compared with the story, I still watched it with moderate expectations.

I'm genuinely surprised by so much negative feedback. I really enjoyed it, and it's one of my favorite films of the year, so far...

While 'The Call of the Wild' is ultimately a weak adaptation of the novel - it may be impossible to ever adapt it faithfully - it's still an okay family flick hampered by an over-reliance on CGI.
- Jake Watt

Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-call-of-the-wild-a-mild-journey-into-the-uncanny-valley...

Harrison Ford makes for quite a decent, hardy, pioneer in this rather engaging tale of a dog and master relationship. "Buck" is pinched from his comfortable life in warm and cosy California, taken north to Alaska (without John Wayne) and sold as a sled dog. Initially on the postal run life becomes one hell of a shock to his system; hard work, meagre meals - but he soon settles down and becomes a beast of great resilience and value. When the postal service is scaled back, his position becomes precarious, he briefly falls into the hands of the nasty, unlikely cast Dan Stevens ("Hal") before a massive feat of strength and endurance finds him his new owner, the rugged loner "Thornton" (Ford) who takes him deep into the lonely wilderness where adventures (and romance) lurk... It's a good story,...

Harrison Ford makes for quite a decent, hardy, pioneer in this rather engaging tale of a dog and master relationship. "Buck" is pinched from his comfortable life in warm and cosy California, taken north to Alaska (without John Wayne) and sold as a sled dog. Initially on the postal run life becomes one hell of a shock to his system; hard work, meagre meals - but he soon settles down and becomes a beast of great resilience and value. When the postal service is scaled back, his position becomes precarious, he briefly falls into the hands of the nasty, unlikely cast Dan Stevens ("Hal") before a massive feat of strength and endurance finds him his new owner, the rugged loner "Thornton" (Ford) who takes him deep into the lonely wilderness where adventures (and romance) lurk... It's a good story,...

W.C. Fields said you should never work with children or animals. Thanks to CGI technology, you don’t have to anymore – at least not with animals. Buck, the main dog in The Call of the Wild, appears to be a cross between Beethoven and Roger Rabbit. Like the former, Buck destroys or eats everything in his path, and like the latter, it’s painfully clear that the human actors are interacting with an animated character – the difference being that Roger Rabbit is actually supposed to be a cartoon.

Buck’s not alone, though. In the Yukon, he and a husky have a fight that plays like the doggy version of 300. The advantage of using computer generated animals – not only the dogs but also wolves, rabbits, etc. – is that you don't have to worry about ASPCA or PETA. The downside, howeve...

**A Soulless, Toothless Film**

With The Call of the Wild, Disney takes a legendary novel and turns it into a bland, watered-down version where everything feels fake—from the CGI dog to the lead actor who looks like he regrets his career choices. This is a film that wants to talk about primal instincts but doesn’t have a shred of authenticity. If you truly want to experience The Call of the Wild, read the book… or just watch your dog run around in a park—it’ll be more convincing....