The Call of the Wild, new version.

Chino74

Chino74

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Coming out Feb this year starring Harrison Ford...saw the preview while waiting for '1917' to cue up. CGI is ahappening,,,not my favorite thing but what can U do? If it's a good film I'll give the CGI a pass. Anyone going to see it?
 
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Is Harrison Ford playing the dog?

(Sorry, couldn't resist ... )

PS: I take that back; I just looked up the preview on Youtube. Ford as a lovable old guy is the only positive aspect I can see. Even in the few minutes of the preview, the heavily computer-assisted dog and other animals cross over into "animated cute" way too often for my taste.
 
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Harrison Ford ranks at the top of the list for me as an actor who can bring something new to the screen in every role. But I don't believe even Harrison Ford will be able to save this film. Disney films are not what they used to be. Even in the trailer I see characters who Jack London wouldn't have included in his book if you'd put a gun to his head.

I grew up reading Jack London's novels and stories. His verbal imagery is hard to match by any author in any genre.

The dog in this new film is not my idea of what Buck looks like. I use "looks like" in the present tense because Buck is real to me and has remained so for over sixty years since I first read the book. CGI isn't getting the job done here, I don't think. The Call of the Wild is a book that can still send chills down a reader's spine. For me, anyway. I'm not seeing any of that in the trailer(s).

I'm probably gonna pass on this one. What I will do, I think, is pull The Call of the Wild off the bookshelf this evening and begin reading it again. I don't need electronic imagery to bring the characters to life.
 
Jack Flash said:
What next? Will they film To Build a Fire with a happy ending? :rolleyes:
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Well, why not? After all, it is Disney. The man could be rescued by the Fairy Princess of the Great White North who carries him away to her hidden palace carved out under a glacier. She shaves off his beard to reveal a...Handsome Prince. And they live Happily Ever After.

Hey, it could happen.
 
While "The Sea Wolf" is by far my favorite Jack London work, the pair of "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" are classics I've read multiple times.

One has to admit that the famous first chapter of "White Fang" gave the North American gray wolf a terrifying literary image which it by and large does not deserve unless you make a living raising livestock. It also led to such movie abominations as "The Grey" with Liam Neeson (2012).

But before we get too serious about literature, this calls for a Far Side:

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Disney has always has been about 'fantasy for the masses', Old Walt was a master at it, his successors, not so much!

Ivan

I was a hyper kid with dyslexia, I just didn't read anything until 7th grade, and mom gave a copy of Scott's "God is my Co-pilot". My brain began to comprehend the written word, and that opened a whole new world to me. I bought several paper back Jack London books: and for the first time in my life: Books were more real than the small or large screen!
I don't want to deprive my grandsons of the harsh reality of these fictional books, that's why in the summer my kids were limited to 1 hour of week day or night TV, I bought them Kipling & London. My wife gave them The Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew. They learned to love the written word! To the point that #2 son has read every list of "The 100 Top Books" that has been printed in English, a few for school and college, but mostly for fun!

I am afraid that , the Ho-Hum/White Washed versions of films will steer youth away from ever trying the unabridged books!

ITB
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
I was a hyper kid with dyslexia, I just didn't read anything until 7th grade, and mom gave a copy of Scott's "God is my Co-pilot". My brain began to comprehend the written word, and that opened a whole new world to me. I bought several paper back Jack London books: and for the first time in my life: Books were more real than the small or large screen!

I don't want to deprive my grandsons of the harsh reality of these fictional books, that's why in the summer my kids were limited to 1 hour of week day or night TV, I bought them Kipling & London. My wife gave them The Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew. They learned to love the written word! To the point that #2 son has read every list of "The 100 Top Books" that has been printed in English, a few for school and college, but mostly for fun!
Click to expand...

This is one of the best posts I've ever read on this forum, which is why I quoted so much of it...it bears repeating.

It really doesn't matter how old someone is when they discover the joys of reading.

This part..." for the first time in my life: Books were more real than the small or large screen!"...drives home the idea of just how important reading can be to a young mind still in its formative years, no matter what you end up doing for the rest of your life. Reading lets someone see the characters both as the author describes them and how the young reader interprets the author's description. Books let the reader be inside the story. Films, as much as I love really good ones, don't do that for me. You're watching something happening to someone else. I do love the good ones, but in a different way from books.

For a while, I helped adults learn to read and/or read better. I'm talking about men and women in their forties and fifties. It was a daunting task, but the pleasure and joy on their faces when they became able to actually read the words and understand their context in books like Huckleberry Finn or Treasure Island was beautiful to see.

Ivan the Butcher said:
I am afraid that , the Ho-Hum/White Washed versions of films will steer youth away from ever trying the unabridged books!

ITB
Click to expand...

For the most part, I agree with you. I don't know how old you are, but when I was a kid, if you weren't seriously getting the hang of reading and spelling, you didn't get promoted to third grade. I pretty much believe that isn't the case today. Kids these days aren't taught the pleasure and value of reading...they just see it as part of the educational ladder they have to climb to "get ahead".

I could go on and on about this, but I won't.

One funny anecdote here. "Funny" depending on how you look at it, I guess. I have a friend I grew up with. Known him since I was four-years-old. Intelligent guy. He went on to college, got his degree, and had a successful career.

We were at lunch recently, talking about movies. I asked him if he'd ever read Gone With the Wind. He said, "I haven't read a book since I graduated from college." He graduated in 1973. I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.
 
Watchdog said:
.... I asked him if he'd ever read Gone With the Wind. He said, "I haven't read a book since I graduated from college." He graduated in 1973. I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.
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This guy is not an outlier. And he has no excuse. But he helps make a point: people, maybe a majority, not reading as a habit isn’t a new phenomenon.

One thing needs to be kept in mind: The decline in reading can’t all be blamed, in fact should mostly not be blamed on any perceived changes in education or the teaching of reading.

The fact that more kids read 30 or 50 years ago can’t just be credited to “better” education and the idea that in the good old days it was easy to open the minds of well-educated little readers to great literature. That’s retrospective glorification. Kids read more because there wasn’t anything better to do. Reading declined once TV came along. And both reading and TV declined once the internet came along.

Bookworms were nerdy outsiders 100 years ago just like they can still be today, although (based on personal observation) it’s actually less likely: who knows whether you’re doing snapchat on your smartphone or reading Harry Potter on the Kindle app? Yes, I know kids who do ;)

Reading teachers today are doing amazing things with books in the face of overwhelming competition from social media. But they’re fighting a desperate rearguard action if the kids come home each night and find mom and dad glued to their smartphones and tablets texting and ... ahem ... posting in internet forums.
 
Can't wrap my head around the idea of computer generated images for the animals, I don't watch the Simpsons, American Dad, or the other cartoons that are so popular and I'm pretty certain I won't be seeing this movie but I did like the book when in grade school.
 
WOW this looks like a Siskell & Ebert 2 thumbs down from everyone & is hasn't even been released yet...ok then. BTW my 9 year-old Grandaughter has 2 libraries one at my house & one at her parent's house..she was read to since she was old enough to sit on my lap. And she loves to read. She just finished the Odyssey with her Mom.

But guess what? It's the age of electronic media., cyber reality & virtual worlds...she's into things we never dreamed of. No more Davy Crockett coon skin hats or watchin Gunsmoke w the family...them days R over. Much as I miss them and yes, 'The Wonderful World of Disney' on Sunday nights as well.
 
Absalom said:
While "The Sea Wolf" is by far my favorite Jack London work, the pair of "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" are classics I've read multiple times.

One has to admit that the famous first chapter of "White Fang" gave the North American gray wolf a terrifying literary image which it by and large does not deserve unless you make a living raising livestock. It also led to such movie abominations as "The Grey" with Liam Neeson (2012).

But before we get too serious about literature, this calls for a Far Side:

attachment.php
Click to expand...

Thank you, got my gut chuckle of the day on this one - “...movie abomination.... The Grey”. Abomination. Perfect word choice.
 
There was just an article in "The Smithsonian" regarding Jack London and his experiences that led to his books. The hardships endured by these miners seeking their fortune is unbelievable, and it is amazing that any of them lived, let alone lived to make their fortune.

We have to remember, movies are made as entertainment, unless they are a documentary. I am sure liberties will be taken with the book, and shortcuts will be taken and drama will be added (like a story like this needs ADDED drama) but in the end if it is entertaining it will do well.

I don't think the CGI for the animals is too bad. Face it, filmmakers have the technology, use it, and it requires no dog food or veterinary care. Cara Gee is not hard on the eyes and we know that Harrison Ford will make the role of the title character his own. Looking forward to seeing it.
 
Chino74 said:
No more Davy Crockett coon skin hats or watchin Gunsmoke w the family...them days R over. Much as I miss them and yes, 'The Wonderful World of Disney' on Sunday nights as well.
Click to expand...

It's kinda sad, but sure...the world moves on, leaving old ways of doing things behind. And yeah, I never missed an episode of Disney on Sunday nights. And Gunsmoke was a must-watch thing for my dad and me.

Speaking for myself only, I have such a strong mental vision of what the characters and Buck look like in The Call of the Wild, that I don't believe any film version of it would totally satisfy me. And I probably let that mindset bleed over into my earlier comments about it in this thread.

Who knows? It could be a blockbuster.
 
On a related note I had zero interest in seeing the version of Moby Dick w that Star trek captain Picard guy whatever his name is.....the John Huston version was just perfect...could not even imagine any other actors in any of the roles. And I've read the Novel probably 5 or 6 times...it's an incredibly dense & deep work, my favorite Melville novel. Huston & Ray Bradberry did an awesome job adopting Melville's massive novel to screen.
 
I was with my five year old daughter at the theatre to see Frozen Two, of course. Small milestone in that this was the first movie she actually was able to sit in her seat and stay the duration for, lol. Anyway, the trailer for Call of The Wild played in the previews and I kind of thought maybe that might be one we could watch together next. Maybe. Got a little salty for a second as I remembered my departed mother reading me that among others. My first impression was that the cinematography of that landscape would surely be epic, if nothing else. I actually thought the dog looked rather how I had pictured Buck in my mind’s eye. And however much they might ‘muck it up’, pretty sure I’d still enjoy it more than the next Spongebob Movie. Question is, will my daughter? Lol.
 
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