Movie Thoughts: Call of the Wild (2000)

• Released: 31 March 2000
• Directed by: David Fallon
• Running time: 1 h 20 min
• Rating 3.5/5

Synopsis

A young man dreaming of being a guide for others in the cold Yukon goes on a dangerous journey with two inexperienced travelers and their team, led by a dog named Buck.

My Thoughts

Okay, so this one could technically also be shoved into the "Series Thoughts" category of my blog. Originally this movie ran as a miniseries, but it was later edited together into the full movie I'm reviewing today. My DVD copy is of the movie, not the series, so I'm reviewing it as a movie.

How it it? Well, depends how you look at it. As an adaptation of Jack London's classic tale, it utterly fails because it honestly has nothing in common with it other than some character names and brief events in the story (e.g. Buck's rivalry with Spitz). But the plot and events are largely disconnected from the original novel.

The story this time focuses much more on Miles, the step-son of John Thornton who wishes to become a guide. Buck is certainly a major player and he does forge a strong bond with Miles, but the central focus really is on our young guide. He embarks on a dangerous journey with Hal and Mercedes, two people looking for fortune in the cold north. In this adaptation, Mercedes at least is not as morally reprehensible and awful as in the book. Hal is honestly the main villain. The final plot deals with Miles, Buck and Mercedes having to cross a river to get to a safe settlement where they can recover from their dangerous trip.

As a movie in and of itself (so discounting the fact that as an adaptation it utterly fails) it's honestly pretty good. Not bad, not fantastic, but serviceable. A solid 7/10. Miles and Mercedes turn out to be quite likable characters with flaws. Honestly Buck, while still being a prominent part of the story, doesn't have as much of a clear personality here. We don't really see him develop. The first time we see him he's already being sold as a sled dog in the north, so the viewer doesn't have his backstory that he used to be a pampered dog from the south. It is narrated briefly that he is hearing the "call of the wild" and becoming more fierce and less docile, but the ending of the movie kind of goes firmly against that: Buck stays with Miles. He doesn't heed the call of the wild, heck, he doesn't even go gallivanting with wolves or hunting moose. He just works as a close ally and pet with Miles and that's it.

Which would've been fine in any other movie, but this is The Call of the Wild we're talking about. The entire premise is the dog's wild instincts awakening and him eventually abandoning humans once the last link is severed. Miles doesn't die like Thornton does in the book, and Buck's wild instincts never truly awaken by going into the woods alone. He's just a lead sled dog in this and later Miles' friend. Nothing more, which is kind of a shame since this is supposed to be his story.

It's overall a fine movie, but don't expect book-accuracy at all. If you like sled dog movies you'll probably like this one, though. If you can handle the animal abuse and death that comes with such a plot.