The Call of the Wild (2020) (REVIEW) | Projector | Harrison Ford meets a CGI dog

[@davidjames579]

"The Uncanny Valley is located in the mountains" Love it!

[@munkyzzb7504]

🐶" Ruff! Ruff!" They're stealing are jobs!

[@davidjames579]

It'll be humans next.

[@munkyzzb7504]

@@davidjames579 Right!

[@CommanderZx2]

They changed the story huh. I guess they didn't have the guts to kill off the guy and have the dog join the wild dogs to get revenge.

[@FilmBrain]

(SPOILERS BELOW) Thornton does die in this version, but this time Hal (who does not drown in the ice as per the book) follows him to the cabin and fatally shoots him. Buck arrives in time to fight Hal and throw him into the burning cabin as it collapses. Yes, the dog kills a guy.

[@CommanderZx2]

@@FilmBrain definitely a film for the whole family.

[@Zeithri]

1. You can absolutely watch this movie with your kids, I am certain of that. 2. Dogs can be that intelligent though that they do understand what you are saying,,, but yeah I know what you mean. Weird that they used CGI for the doggos.. 15:24 - Seriously, you sound so very " _ThINk of ThE ChILDREN!_ " here. Kids aren't that dumb. Of course they will pick up on characters dying. Death is a natural part of life as they will learn from watching the Lion King or many other movies.

[@FilmBrain]

That wasn't my intention, but more just being cautious of the intensity of those scenes, because I know that such scenes did distress me when I was a kid. But every child reacts differently.

[@DiarraHarris]

The budget was before 125 - 150 million so I don't know why they didn't animate the entire thing.

[@otaking3582]

Probably because they wanted to give the impression of this being "serious" (and also have Harrison Ford's face be visible)

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

Studio Execs that don't have faith in this genre in animation?

[@franohmsford7548]

Call of the Wild was absolutely written for Children - I was no older than 12 and possibly as young as 7 when I first read both this and London's other masterpiece...White Fang {don't get me started on the abysmal Hollywood Adaptation of White Fang!!!} back in the mid to late 80s! If you go back past 1918 you'll find that most of the famous "Children's Novels" would not be considered anything of the sort were they to be written today! As a PG Movie however this film HAS to take into account that there will be VERY YOUNG Children watching it. It has clearly been MASSIVELY Sanitised and is treated as a Kids Comedy with Buck's expressions being very deliberately played for laughs and Aws and Ahs. There are still some violent scenes but they are played very much as they would be in say E.T. {BEFORE Spielberg decided to do a Lucas on it!} or Jumanji {The Robin Williams movie especially is much much darker than this adaptation!}. The Book is closer to say PLAGUE DOGS in how dark it gets and a faithful adaptation would likely get slapped with at least an R Rating in today's cinematic climate!

[@FilmBrain]

I think it is one of those cases where it wasn't really aimed at young audiences, just a general one, but that has stuck a little because it has become a set school text. I suspect a PG-13 film would probably be correct, but it is a fairly tough film at PG, and definitely wondered if I would have liked it when I was a kid. I leaned 'no'.

[@franohmsford7548]

​@@FilmBrain I didn't read this because of School! I read it off my own bat having got it from the Children's section at my local Library! I was an avid reader throughout my childhood and teens and well into my twenties before I settled down to only reading the latest Gemmell, Pratchett and Brooks {two of those three are now unfortunately no longer with us and my eyesight isn't what it once was either....Possibly because of excessive reading} offerings each year alongside my old favourites off my bookshelf. Again I don't think this adaptation in particular could be considered too much for all but the most sheltered of children over 5 - I was watching Zulu/The Vikings/Ben Hur at 7, Jaws/Temple of Doom/Gremlins at 10 and Robocop/Aliens/Die Hard {only one of those three with my parents permission!} at 13....We coddle Children far too much today!

[@FilmBrain]

Admittedly, PGs are a bit milder today - in the UK, PG-13 films like The Mask of Zorro or The Fifth Element were passed at PG in ways they likely wouldn't now - but I think the tone here is weird and doesn't work. I think the rather downbeat ending, though faithful in spirit if not letter, cemented my opinion. Then again dog movies seem to get away with being remarkably dark due to cuteness, apparently.

[@franohmsford7548]

@@FilmBrain kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4u6hKd4bLKerLs Seems I actually agree with Mark Kermode on this one :)

[@franohmsford7548]

@@FilmBrain Now I certainly wouldn't consider The Fifth Element to be a PG-13 Movie, I thought that was an 18? I can't think of too much I'd find troubling for kids to see in Mask of Zorro though {Other than that it was a pretty middling movie}. Having read the book I don't consider the ending of this movie "downbeat" at all!!! But I refer you again to "Marley and Me" which is very much a family comedy and the ending of that has mothers+fathers in tears never mind their children! It's actually the beginning of the movie that I find rather jarring in the way it skips over much of the horrors Buck goes through in the Book AND for some reason changes him from a coddled house dog to king of the town seemingly to reduce the trauma of his dognapping. P.S. I switched John Wick off the moment they killed the Dog...I will never watch any of its sequels because I loathe that trope in movies! I love K-9 and Loathe Turner and Hooch {despite having really enjoyed Turner and Hooch right up until the last 5 minutes!} for the same reason. Alien3 may have changed it to a Cow in the Director's Cut but I will never be able to get that original scene out of my head - Another movie I detest! Frankly I'm very happy with the ending of Call of the Wild 2020 :)

[@stevegeorge6880]

Wait, so you're saying that this was literally directed by Stitch?

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

Yeah, and that's the main thing that interests me.

[@Alejandroigarabide]

Meega nada directaaaa!!!!

[@gamestation2690]

@@Alejandroigarabide In Stitch's language, "Meega nala kweesta" means "I will destroy."

[@Alejandroigarabide]

@@gamestation2690 I know, but it's his only phrase I know how to quote.

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

I am really interested in hearing Sanders' justification for the CG dog.

[@laurahertzman943]

Was there a shortage of Saint Bernard mix dogs at the time of filming? Because I can't justify why you would CGI a dog unless it's an animated movie.

[@franohmsford7548]

Try actually watching the film and you might be able to justify their decision a bit easier!

[@thema1998]

Why did they think that using CGI animals was a good idea? 🤦‍♂️

[@minski76]

It makes sense now that I know the director comes form animation... Buck comes straight from a cartoon... With all the things a cartoon dog can do that a real dog can't. But as Matthew said, if he wanted a cartoon dog, he should have made an animated movie.

[@floraposteschild4184]

Basically, to get attention. People are crazy for CGI remakes, whether they work for the story or not (see Lion King).

[@alienboy1322]

To avoid possible animal rights violations? That's my only guess.

[@franohmsford7548]

Because there are multiple scenes of dogs being beaten, whipped, having guns pointed at them, Running in harness in dangerous territory, falling off cliffs, Jumping on Surface Ice, Diving into Icy Cold Water through Iceholes AND FIGHTING EACH OTHER!!! The CGI is actually really good - Of course we're not at the point yet where it can be even close to Flawless but Hollywood is clearly on its way towards that point and if this film doesn't get made they don't get to PRACTICE in Realistic Conditions!

[@alienboy1322]

@@franohmsford7548 But like what Matthew said. Use cg dogs for the things that you can't do with real dogs.

[@athousandfeethigh]

This is the only time I'll say something would've been BETTER as a hyper-realistic mo-cap animation

[@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168]

Monster trucks isn’t the best example. I’d say Monkeybone or The Time Machine (two films you beat down) would be better showcases of the pitfalls that animation directors can fall into.

[@davidjames579]

Jonah Hex

[@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168]

@@davidjames579 Did he do animated movies before that film?

[@davidjames579]

@@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168 Yes, Horton Hears A Who and Robots, plus work on many other animated films. JH is his only live action work, before or since. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Hayward#Filmography

[@stevegeorge6880]

The decision to CGI the dog is akin to making a full live action movie and then relying on CGI to render it as a stop motion animation involving toys.

[@floraposteschild4184]

Heh! Maybe in the future, there will be CGI remakes that change the characters into (highly marketable) toys, based on the original footage: a Lego Die Hard, an "action figure" Indiana Jones, My Little Pony Clueless...

[@DiarraHarris]

It would have to be a CGI film 2D is dead and the movie going public doesn't like stop motion animated films.

[@otaking3582]

@@DiarraHarris *Real dogs:* "Am I a joke to you?"

[@aeddiefarmer]

Really great review, but I had to comment just to say 'no relation!' killed me!

[@grapeshot]

Yeah I remember when I was in eighth grade I did a book report on the Call of the Wild.

[@franohmsford7548]

Lucky You!

[@gamestation2690]

Actually, the final movie released under 20th Century Pictures was a movie called "Folies Bergère de Paris."

[@otaking3582]

So a movie no one in English-speaking countries has ever heard of?

[@gamestation2690]

Otaking Mikohani - Actually, it’s an American, English-language movie with a French title.

[@otaking3582]

@@gamestation2690 But still one that no one has ever heard of

[@gamestation2690]

Otaking Mikohani - Here’s a clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaCohqGsjM13f6c

[@changsiah2]

when going to do parasite?

[@jliller]

I read this book and watched two of the adaptations when I was in elementary school (4th or 5th grade). The book was assigned reading from school.

[@D.G.M.]

I didn't get at the end if Thornton died or not, but if he did, he's doing a Gloria Swanson-style narration after that, which is also weird.

[@FilmBrain]

Oh, yeah, he died, but is narrating beyond the grave. Which I guess explains all the things he couldn't possibly know, but a bit odd.

[@petrino]

it's definitely a dog movie for non-dog people. cus... wow

[@otaking3582]

I dislike dogs, and even I think using CGI instead of a real dog is stupid.

[@franohmsford7548]

I'm a Dog Person and I thougt it was a perfectly decent movie, a 7/10. No it's not Marley and Me or Cujo but come on...It's not White Fang {the 1991 Ethan Hawke atrocity!} either!

[@jasondouglas152]

You should do voice material for books on tape ( or audio books ) You got the perfect voice for my friend. Cheers

[@TheNinjaMarmot]

Brilliant analysis as usual!

[@cartoonkelly7924]

This must’ve been a ruff one to sit through. Ruff I say, ruff! You think there’ll be a cut of the film without the narration? I’ve never read Call of the Wild. Good review but I was promised strawberries, I expected strawberries, not just ridiculous Dan Stevens. Strawberries are yummy I doubt Dan Stevens is. You owe me strawberries. ❤️❤️❤️ (though your closing line was pretty good, not sure if I’m willing to forgive the lack of strawberries yet.)

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

I feel like the only reason this is live action is because no studio wanted to make this animated.

[@culwin]

The sequel is going to be a 3-way crossover, where the dog meets Sonic and Mr. Mistoffolees

[@trevingrayek8292]

The only time a dog should look that expressive in a live -action setting is if it’s a horror movie and some shape-shifting monstrosity is pretending (very poorly) to look & act like a dog.

[@ToruKun1]

I remember seeing the trailer and cringing at how bad all the CGI animals looked and I just thought "Wow, we're gonna have bad CGI animals in all movies from now on to avoid like, animal abuse allegations from PETA in film making aren't we?" I thought that was the only reason all the animals in this movie were CGI, not because the director primarily works in animation.

[@mrflipperinvader7922]

Also funny you bring up blade runner cause Michael Green wrote this and he co wrote 2049

[@otaking3582]

Why the hell does Hollywood keep using CGI animals in movies where there's no reason for them to be CGI?! There's this, all of the crappy Disney remakes, last month's DoLittle, and even Life of Pi! Why is this a thing?!

[@FilmBrain]

Well, in the case of those, they're doing talking animals or ludicrously unsafe. You'd never do Life of Pi with an actual tiger, that would be impossible.

[@otaking3582]

@@FilmBrain For talking animals, they could always do the Babe thing where they use CGI on top of actual animals. And you could probably green-screen a real tiger into the boat, using puppets and animatronics for when the actor actually has to touch the tiger.

[@Alejandroigarabide]

So... basically they should have hired Chris Sanders and this movie's animators to make The Lion King; and John Favreau and TLK's animators for this movie.

[@roop298]

I'm sure for 5 year olds it's quite amusing. For me, the Heston one was quite traumatic as a child of 10..

[@JamiJR]

I wonder if they did that because of the lies PETA told about A Dog's Purpose.

[@AB-xd8hm]

Maybe this was originally suppose to be entirely animated?

[@andreasmeelie1889]

I saw this movie today and LOVED IT! :) However, I do have to agree with everything that Film Brain said here I can see his point.

[@AB-xd8hm]

Check out the new Sci-Fi horror Underwater if you get the time, btw. It's better than expected.

[@disconnected22]

Wonder if Harrison Ford hated shooting this too....

[@captcrais101]

Hey! Harrison was good in Bladerunner

[@jaydensapp2]

Seeing It Later Today

[@allisonrogers1409]

Righto. But nevertheless, I really enjoyed it.

[@mrmysterious8124]

Can you look at Godzilla Planet Of The Monsters🐉PS why is the dog CGI wouldn't it be easier to use a real dog🐕🐺

[@eddihurta7173]

Seems like the director or someone wanted that SONIC style movie money haha

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

I wouldn't be surprised if this were only made live action because of studio execs.

[@daim87]

Good movie

[@bizzarrogeorge]

Looked like cgi vomit from trailer one. So stupid.

[@leeloo1967]

Mathew pls review a much better dog movie that actually used real dogs it’s called “Togo” starring Willem Dafoe It’s on Disney Plus It’s a truly beautiful film Excellent review Mathew!