The Call of the Wild is a 2020 adventure film. It is based on the Jack London's 1903 novel of the same name. The film is directed by Chris Sanders, written by Michael Green and features Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Omar Sy, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford, and Colin Woodell. The film is distributed by 20th Century Studios and was released on February 19, 2020 in the UK and on February 21, 2020 in the United States.
It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Ford's performance and the "entertaining action and earnest tone" but criticized the "uncanny" CGI of the animals. It was a box-office bomb, grossing $110 million against a production budget of $125–150 million, and lost the studio an estimated $50–100 million.
Synopsis[]
Bucky, a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie dog, has been taken from his home in Santa Clara, California and has been bought by the Yukon freight haulers.
Plot[]
During the late 19th century, Buck, a large, gentle St. Bernard/Scotch Collie, lives contentedly with his master, Judge Miller, in Santa Clara, California. One night, Buck is abducted and shipped to the Yukon aboard a freighter. During the voyage, a crew member beats him as a means of discipline. After arriving, Buck returns a dropped harmonica to a man named John Thornton, moments before being sold to Perrault and his assistant Francoise for their dog sled to deliver mail across the Yukon. Perrault hopes that with Buck, he can make the long trek to the mail depot before the deadline. Buck is introduced to the other dogs; Dolly, Pike, Jo, Billie, Dub, Dave and Sol-leks, including the vicious pack leader, a husky named Spitz.
Throughout their travels, Buck gains the loyalty and trust of Perrault, Francoise and the other sled dogs, after proving himself along the way and even rescuing Francoise, antagonizing Spitz. Buck begins experiencing ancestral spiritual visions of a black wolf that acts as his guide throughout their travels. One night, Buck catches then releases a rabbit. Spitz kills it before attacking Buck to assert his dominance. Spitz seems to win, until the rest of the pack encourage Buck. Buck pins Spitz down, displacing him as pack leader; Spitz then disappears into the wild. Perrault grudgingly makes Buck the lead when no other dog assumes the position. Buck's speed and strength allow the sled to arrive with the mail on time. There, Thornton hands over a letter he has written to his former wife expressing his feelings about their dead son. When Perrault returns, he learns the mail route is being replaced by the telegraph, forcing him to sell the dogs. Hal, a mean-spirited and inexperienced gold prospector, buys the pack and gradually works them to exhaustion carrying a heavy load in weather unsuitable for sledding.
The exhausted dogs stop to rest before Hal can force them to cross an unstable frozen lake. When Buck refuses to move, Hal threatens to shoot him. Thornton appears and rescues Buck while Hal forces the other sled dogs to cross the lake. Under Thornton's care, Buck recovers. Later, at a saloon, Thornton is attacked by Hal, who reveals the dogs managed to run off leaving him with nothing. Witnessing the scene, Buck attacks Hal who is subsequently thrown out. Buck and Thornton then travel beyond the Yukon map where they can freely live in the wild. They come across an abandoned cabin in an open valley and settle in. Meanwhile, Hal relentlessly hunts them, believing Thornton is hiding gold.
In the open wilderness, Thornton and Buck bond over their daily activities, primarily fishing and gold panning. Throughout their time together, Buck is drawn to a female white wolf. Going back and forth between Thornton and the white wolf, Buck is conflicted by his domesticated life with Thornton and his place with the wolf pack that the female belongs to. Thornton believes it is time to return home and tells Buck he is leaving in the morning, and to come and say good-bye. Buck heads into the forest and sleeps beside the white wolf, clearly conflicted. Hal subsequently finds and shoots Thornton. Buck returns and kills Hal by pushing him into the cabin, which has caught on fire. Thornton wants Buck to live for himself. He reassures him with his final words, "It's okay, boy. You're home."
The next morning, Buck returns to the wilderness. There, he mates and has offspring with the white wolf and becomes the pack leader, fully embracing the call of the wild.
Cast[]
- Harrison Ford as John Thornton
- Dan Stevens as Hal
- Omar Sy as Perrault
- Karen Gillan as Mercedes
- Bradley Whitford as Judge Miller
- Colin Woodell as Charles
- Scott MacDonald as Dawson
- Cara Gee as Françoise
- Terry Notary as Buck
- Jean Louisa Kelly as Katie Miller
- Michael Horse as Edenshaw
Music[]
- Main article: The Call of the Wild (soundtrack)
In January 2019, it was announced that John Powell would compose the film's score, who previously collaborated with Sanders on the 2010 DreamWorks Animation film How to Train Your Dragon. Recording primarily took place in Los Angeles at the Newman Scoring Stage, with Powell conducting a 90-piece orchestra, as well as employing a 60-voice choir for the score. Joining him were regular composers Batu Sener and Paul Mounsey, who provided additional music. The soundtrack was released digitally on February 21, 2020, by Hollywood Records with all music composed and conducted by John Powell.
Reception[]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 62% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 6.02/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "It's undermined by distracting and unnecessary CGI, but this heartwarming Call of the Wild remains a classic story, affectionately retold." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Following a studio name change by Disney on January 17, 2020, this is the first film to be released under the 20th Century Studios name.
- The film was released in the UK on February 19[2], 2020, which marked the first time the 20th Century Studios logo to appear on-screen two days earlier than the usual American release date for February 21.
- this is Chris Sanders’s directorial solo debut, first live action directorial film, and first film as a independent filmmaker.
References[]
External links[]
- Official Site on Fox Movies
The Call of the Wild (2020 film) on Wikipedia
