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When I heard that The Call of the Wild was coming to the big screen with Harrison Ford, I knew that I wanted to see it. I have loved almost everything that Harrison Ford has starred in, but I also have had all my children read The Call of the Wild. However, I knew that I wanted to read the book before the movie came out. So how does the movie compare with the book? I will not only answer that question, but I will also give you a Christian Mom Movie Review of The Call of the Wild.

SYNOPSIS of The Call of the Wild Christian Movie Review

This movie is based on the 1903 book by The Call of Wild by Jack London. It has had other film adaptation. The main character is a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie named Buck. He is owned by Judge Miller (Bradley Whitford) and lives on a sprawling farm in California during the 1890s. He clearly has a free reign of not only the estate but also the town.

Because of the demand for sled dogs in the Yukon, he is stolen from his home and transported to Canada to begin a new and different life. He becomes a mail dog for Francoise (Cara Gee) and Perrault (Omar Sy). He encounters John Thornton (Harrison Ford) and after numerous trials and hardships eventually becomes Thornton’s dog. When the two go for an epic adventure both dog and man find themselves.

THE GOOD:

The dynamic between Francoise and Perrault is fantastic. However, the true dynamic is between Harrison Ford and a CGI Buck. It just works so well. Ford’s character makes you forget that he is talking to a CGI dog and not a real dog.

While the storyline deviates from the original book, this movie works. We saw a very early movie and the theater was filled with older folks (70+). Is it the Harrison Ford attraction or because The Call of the Wild has been so widely read? I asked one older couple seeing the movie, and not surprisingly, the man said he had read it when he was younger. This was typical with “boys” books, just as it was typical for girls to read Little Women.

THE CALL OF THE WILD CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW

WHAT PARENTS MAY WANT TO KNOW

Since this is a Christian Movie Review, I like to point out things that some people may have problems with. This doesn’t mean I object to the content or that you object to the content. For more information on how I perform my movie reviews, read My Movie Review Guidelines.

While this movie is about a mistreated dog and finding his place in the world, this was not shown as much as I anticipated. The beating that Buck underwent in the book was much more severe than in the movie. However, Buck is mistreated and this may cause some children to be afraid. Additionally, there is one scene that may be too much for children. I will detail it below under SPOILERS.

In addition to Buck being mistreated, there are several fights. There is a scene in a bar where a man is punched, and Buck jumps to his defense. There are a few scenes where guns are shot. 

Another particularly intense scene involved a person falling through the ice and almost drowning. Buck jumps in the water to save them. This is a pretty intense scene where you are not sure if both dog and person will make it.

There are several scenes where Buck sees a black wolf with glowing eyes. It is never stated whether it is his animal instinct guiding him or an “ancestor” calling him to his native roots.

There is a pretty intense avalanche scene where even though I knew Buck had to live through it, I was on the edge of my seat. Another scene shows a house on fire and Buck pushes a man into the fire. You never actually see the man in the fire itself.

Language and Alcohol:

Language is pretty mild in this film but includes: Da-n It, and son of a — is said but never finished.

Drinking: There is plenty of alcohol in the movie, and it is implied that a person is drunk. Someone finds a bottle of alcohol and calls it his treasure. It is revealed that the reason a person is drinking is that he lost his son. Buck does not approve of drinking. 

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS:

In one brief scene, there is a woman standing on a box preaching and holding a Bible dressed in early Salvation Army clothing.

There is the mention of ancient ancestors who were once wild. Remember, Jack London, the author of the original book was an atheist.

While Buck keeps “seeing” a spirit dog that calls him to his destiny, we know as Christians that we have a calling on our lives, but the Call that we answer is God himself. Remind your children that Holy Spirit guides us and leads us in the path we should go. 

Furthermore, there are scenes in this movie that clearly depict people elevating gold and the love of money above all else. Talk to your children about how money itself is not evil, but rather the love of money is the root of evil. Placing anything above God and pursuing that leads to death and destruction. This is evident in the film through the mistreatment of animals and the lengths that people were willing to go through to find some gold.

ADDITIONAL TEACHING MOMENTS In this Film:

While you can certainly study the Yukon or Klondike Gold Rush, there are plenty of other elements to study in this film. 

Discuss the territory of the Yukon and Klondike. Who owned which regions of land. The layout of the land and the Chilkoot Trail.

The dress of the woman street preacher and the fact that there was a woman street preacher. A woman preacher was not common, but Catherine Booth, who alongside her husband, founded the Salvation Army.

The mistreatment of animals is another area to study. How did people view animals in the 1890s? When did animal rights become popular? In the book, The Call of the Wild (which was written in 1903), dogs were shot if they were no longer useful to the team.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIEWING:

While I forgot for much of the movie about the CGI, there were scenes that it was just bad. This will definitely be a film that in 10 years will be looked upon with the thought, “boy was that bad CGI.” However, do not let that stop you from seeing it. 

While this movie carries a PG rating, I think younger children will be bored for much of it. My recommendation is 8 and up, but solely because of one scene. This movie is based on a novel that is generally read in middle school and up. It is not children’s content, and while I thought it was well-done, young children will not appreciate the acting, the storyline or the transformation of Thornton or Buck.

Furthermore, there is much in this movie that is implied through watching. The littlest children will most likely not pick up on those things, but they also will not understand what is going on throughout the movie.

SPOILER ALERT:

PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS STORY. HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES CONTINUE READING

Does John Thornton (Harrison Ford) live or die in this movie?

Towards the end of the movie, in a scene that will most likely be confusing and frightening to young children, John Thornton has decided to go home. He is preparing to leave Buck in the wild. But he is shot before he can leave. Buck comes to his aid. Buck kills the man who shot him, but Thornton dies with Buck by his side. This is a very emotional scene. 

ADDITIONAL MOVIES TO WATCH:

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Comparing Mary Poppins Movie to the Book‘

Aladdin The Book versus the Movie