Watch The Call of the Wild For Free

Wonderful character development!

So much average

Sadly Over-hyped

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

By far the best dog movie ever made. Excellent acting, one of the best all time endings. To give this movie a bad review you would have to be a video game playing fool or never stepped foot in the northern woods. I've watched this movie several times with many people and anyone who saw it thought it was great. Set with a historical background into the Yukon it gives you a realistic understanding about dog sledding. Great background about Indian myths and panning for gold. The movie does have a low budget,however it does doesn't need special effects. It's one of the great American stories about a deep friendship between a man and his best friend. If you want non-stop action and special effects go watch the Terminator instead.

*Spoiler/plot- Call of the Wild, 1972. Two miners go to the North West territories during the gold strike there to get rich quick off the miners.*Special Stars- Charlton Heston.*Theme- Hard work is it's own best reward.*Trivia/location/goofs- TV show drama, Black & White.*Emotion- A rather slow version of the normally exciting tale about two guys and their special dog team in the frozen North country.*Based on- Jack London's story of the struggle to survive in snow North.

Several years ago, I rode the White Pass and Yukon Railway from Skagway, Alaska, to Carcross, Yukon, Canada. The 68-mile line through the Coast Range Mountains follows the first leg of the route taken by nearly 100,000 people who "rushed" to the gold fields of the Yukon, Klondike and Alaska. The great gold rush that goes by all three names began in 1896 and ended in 1899. Jack London's book, The Call of the Wild, came out in 1903, and was set mainly in that time and place. But his setting didn't have a railway or highways – which had not yet been built. The only way to Dawson City, the goal of the rushers, was overland on foot for most people, and by dog sled for the more fortunate. Today, one can get a sense of the extreme difficulty and hardships of the gold seekers, by taking a trip on the narrow-gage railway that was begun in 1898 and completed in 1900. Although the gold rush ended abruptly, the railway and later Klondike Highway from Skagway remained the principal means of supplies for the Yukon Territory well past the mid-20th century. The railway today thrives mostly on tourist trade. The trip to Carcross is a popular shore excursion for cruise ships that sail to Alaska and stop at Skagway. Check out YouTube for video segments on this rail trip. I mention all of this because I think it adds to one's sense of the challenge and struggle of the people of that time. I remember reading London's book way back in high school (a few decades ago). While the dog, Buck, is the central hero of the book, the story was also much about the human travail of the gold rush. This film does a good job of showing the human foibles, errors of judgment and lack of sense among people who caught the gold "fever." Of course, Buck and the other dogs and wolves, are a big part of the film. The scenery and sets are excellent. I can see how the film-makers used locales in Norway for scenes that look almost exactly like early newspaper photos of the gold rush. The acting, cinematography and sets are all top drawer in "The Call of the Wild." The weakness in the film is in the script, direction and editing. And, I'm not sure yet, on the musical score. These aspects were choppy at times. Too often, we would have a sudden break in scenes, with no transition. Closer attention to these details could have made this an outstanding film. But for the story it tells from the book, and the scenery, sets and acting, I give it 8 stars. For its historical value and realism, "The Call of the Wild" ranks among a few very good films about hardships and struggles with nature. That was not the main plot London had in mind, but the film serves up that secondary plot very well.If you ever take an Alaskan cruise that stops at Skagway, be sure to take the White Pass and Yukon Railway trip to Carcross. A barbecue lunch is at the Yukon end, and you return by bus on the Klondike Highway. It only operates during the summer months. It's a bit costly, but well worth it. This rail line is a major historical and engineering shrine today. Skagway also has a fine museum on the gold rush, and the U.S. National Park Service has a Yukon Gold Rush museum in downtown Seattle.

This is definitely a European-style film from the period, the 70s. Everything about it speaks loudly with the European influence, the music, the cinematography, the editing. It's much like what you'd see in countless Euro horror films from the time, but this time it's a dramatic and rather realistic take on the old American classic. When seen, it doesn't take much to imagine the shooting conditions, and how did they all, cast and crew, put up with the misery of the terrible cold and snow? Heston isn't miscast here like some say, he's just very much different from what might be expected, but he does an admirable job. Some of his best film work was during this time, not the studio blockbusters he was known for prior to this. It is good that the story doesn't opt for the Hollywood "happy ending" but, without spoiling it for those who haven't seen this, it is a much more realistic ending.