The Call of the Wild 2020

Based on the 1903 novel of the same name by Jack London and previously adapted a few other times in the past, with the most famous being in 1935 with Clark Gable, The Call of the Wild 2020 takes a lot of liberties but is otherwise a well told story. The film centers on a large and pampered dog, named Buck, who is kidnapped so as to be used as part of a sled dog mail delivery in the Yukon. Buck must learn to not only obey so as to not get hit by humans but also must figure out how to work and get along with much wilder dogs. Initially getting used to this new lifestyle, advancements in technology leads Buck to new people and adventures as he tries to find where he fits in this new world. Buck, himself, is created through CGI as Terry Notary portrays the dog through motion capture. Even when the effects are obvious and certain moments could have been done with a real dog, the recreation of Buck and other animals looks well done and makes sense due to how extreme certain stunts are. While Harrison Ford gets top billing and a lot of focus in posters and trailers, he doesn't appear all that much and only becomes an important character by the third act. Even with such a small role, Ford gives an incredible performance while adding more to his character than the book had. The relationship and chemistry between Ford's John Thornton and Buck works so well that you wish this was the focus from the beginning. Chris Sanders, a director more known for animated films, does a good job in his first live action film with how well he mixes drama and adventure. The amazing cinematography by Janusz Kaminski adds to the beauty, depth, and vastness of 1890s Alaska. While fun, there are very serious moments that add a lot of weight just like in the London book, like Buck's kidnapping and the death of Thornton. But, some of those moments are ruined by either changes from the book or liberties that the film takes. Having Buck only get hit once to be obedient does take away from the seriousness of how often it happened in the novel. There's also the fight between him and Spitz, the leader of the sled dogs, that has a way less violent conclusion and the only fight between dogs as the novel had a whole scene with wild wolves fighting Buck. The attempt at making it more child friendly is appreciated but it takes away from what made the book so special. While Dan Stevens does play a character from the book, his take on Hal is way over the top and gives an unnecessary goofy villain in a very normal movie. The Call of the Wild 2020 may take certain liberties, but while it may not be faithful to the book it is a very well made and fun movie that still has some of the spirit. Over all: 81%
2020 top list so far:
1. The Gentlemen
2. Birds of Prey
3. Bad Boys for Life
4. The Call of the Wild 2020
5. Sonic the Hedgehog