THE CALL OF THE WILD
***
Dir: Chris Sanders (12A, 101 mins)
Jack London’s classic dog-based adventure gets the fully rendered photorealistic animals treatment that made The Lion King look so odd, as Buck, a big-hearted canine, finds himself uprooted from California into the Yukon during the 1890 gold rush. Luckily, a grizzled Harrison Ford is along for the ride too. A family film that enables a dog to do outrageous stunts via technology, The Call Of The Wild’s VFX still look a little wrong, but the human performances around them at least add weight. Ford is on fine form as grumpy gold prospector John Thornton, who has escaped the world in the wastes of Alaska but whose heart begins to thaw when he discovers Buck – a St Bernard/Scotch Collie cross who leads him back to life. Their adventure takes them through rapids, bear attacks and frozen lakes under the direction of experienced animator Chris Sanders, with cameos from Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens and Omar Sy. A picaresque dog-friendly journey proceeds with charm, if you can get past the CGI.
Opens Feb 21
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