Review | The Call of the Wild film review: Harrison Ford in live action/CGI retelling of Jack London classic
- Harrison Ford plays his most moving role for years as the craggy faced loner and narrator of this dog’s tale
- The computer graphics make for stunning shots of Yukon scenery, although the animals aren’t quite convincing
3/5 stars
Jack London’s evergreen 1903 novella has been a story filmmakers have returned to numerous times, with Clark Gable, Charlton Heston and Rutger Hauer among the actors drawn to The Call of the Wild.
The story of Buck, a domesticated dog that finds his inner beast in the 1890s Gold Rush era is now a souped-up live-action/CG combo, courtesy of Lilo & Stitch director Chris Sanders. Terry Notary, best known for his work in the recent Planet of the Apes reboots, remarkably plays Buck, via motion capture.
Buck, a beautiful big St Bernard crossbreed, lives with a kindly judge (Bradley Whitford), but his happy life changes after he’s dognapped. Sold, he’s beaten, starved and forced to become a sled dog.
Briefly owned by Omar Sy and Cara Gee, who operate a mail hauling business across the hostile wintry landscapes, Buck is forced to assert dominance over the other dogs, but his benevolent temperament sees him look after others.
In a story that explores civilisation vs nature, the humanity comes from Harrison Ford, who plays John Thornton, a grizzled loner grief-stricken over the death of his son.