The Call Of The Wild is an adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Jack London. Starring Harrison Ford in the lead (human) role, it is a good natured, albeit artistically uneven film about following your destiny and discovering your true potential. In the late 1800s, a large, overly friendly St. Bernard x Scotch Collie named "Buck" is abducted from his home in California and transported up north to the Yukon in Canada. Upon arrival, Buck returns a harmonica dropped on the ground to a man named John Thornton (Harrison Ford) shortly before being sold off as a sled dog to a pair of mail carriers. Due to him not being used to this new snowy environment, Buck struggles at first at becoming accustomed to his new life of pulling sleds but soon finds encouragement in his visions of a dark wolf guiding him through his challenges and obstacles to eventually gain the respect of not only his fellow canines but also the humans around him. As yet another adaptation of a well-regarded American novel, this version of "The Call Of The Wild" should please casual audiences with its adorable four-legged star carrying the weight of the film through every step of the way. I am unsure, however, how closely it sticks to the original story as I have not read it in full so I can't fully determine how satisfied longtime fans of the source material will be, although from what I have researched, they seem to be somewhat divided on what has been omitted. Apparently, there have been some liberties taken with the overall mood of the film as the book reportedly has a much grittier feel that may have been toned down in an effort to create a more family friendly viewing experience. Normally, I would be annoyed at something like this happening but I actually felt more at ease while watching the film as it allowed me to take in more of the adventure without worrying too much about whether something terrible was about to happen. Some may argue that this is playing it safe but I'm not too bothered with that as I enjoy a good carefree romp in the wilderness so long as I can share it with characters I care about. Chris Sanders, who makes his live-action directorial debut, having previously co-directed "Lilo & Stitch", "How to Train Your Dragon", and "The Croods", does handle the film quite well, showcasing his knack for creating memorable scenery and his fluid use of cinematography helped establish the wide expanse of the Yukon and the various oddities and perils that one might encounter on their travels. However, I believe he felt a little too worried about stepping outside his comfort zone as he did overuse CGI at times, to the point where it became highly distracting. For example, Buck would sometimes clearly be a real dog huffing and panting his way through the snow while other times his movements looked unnaturally cartoonish, notably in one scene involving him jumping up and down on a bed. We see his legs flail around like a ragdoll as he tries to wake up his master but anyone who has seen how dogs really jump will know that their legs stay straight when pouncing on something. Fortunately, most of this is forgivable as I can understand the difficulty in training a real dog to perform some of the actions shown in this film and CGI would obviously be a much cheaper alternative. It just proves that no matter how nice CGI may look on the surface, there is no substitute for the real thing. I enjoyed Harrison Ford's performance as the stern but kindly wanderer John Thornton, who spends his time roughing it in the wilderness alongside his canine companion. Ford also narrates the film as well, in a manner that can be likened to a grandfather reading a bedtime story to his grandchildren, which adds a sense of childlike innocence that young viewers will definitely come to appreciate. Even though he may not have looked visually convincing at times, I loved seeing Buck and his journey from a pampered domesticated house pet to a hardened and respected dog of the outdoors. I suppose I'm just a sucker for dogs being the central role of a film as I have always had a soft spot for these wonderful animals and what they're capable of. In conclusion, although I haven't read the original novel, this film has piqued my curiosity as it certainly feels like a story that would be better on paper than on screen. There's only so much that technology can produce before that sense of realism is severed from the audience. Despite this, the film is still worth seeing for those wanting a relatively laid-back adventure involving a dog and his master. If you're someone who loves dogs just as much as me, then this is the film for you. I rate it 7/10

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