Animal Action

Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey

Walt Disney studios had previously adapted Sheila Burnford's classic animal-adventure novel The Incredible Journey in 1963, and the story proves just as durable in this popular 1993 version, in which the heroic trio of animals are given voices provided by Don Ameche, Michael J. Fox, and Sally Field. They don't actually speak (like the clever critters in Babe), but we hear their "voices" as the lost household pets--Shadow the golden retriever, Chance the bulldog, and Sassy the cat--survive a harrowing series of adventures as they struggle to find their way home. Perfect entertainment for kids, this frequently clever movie offers an abundance of wildlife and beautiful location scenery, and the vocal performances by Ameche, Fox, and Field are surprisingly effective. A hit with parents and children alike, the film was followed by a sequel in 1996. --Jeff Shannon

The adventure begins when the loving owners of these irresistible pets are forced to leave them in the temporary care of a friend who lives hundreds of miles away. But after several days the worried animals begin to think their family must be in trouble so they decide to head for home. On their incredible journey across the ruggedly beautiful Sierras they encounter unexpected surprises from man beast and nature alike. It s an unforgettable story of love courage and devotion that will delight and inspire generations to come!System Requirements:Starring: Don Adler Don Ameche Sally Field Michael J. Fox Kim Greist and Robert Hays. Directed By: Duwayne Dunham. Running Time: 1 hrs. 24 mins. This film is presented in "Standard" format. Copyright 1997 Buena Vista.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 717951000071

The Black Stallion

Adapted from the beloved novel by Walter Farley, this 1979 family classic was hailed by no less than hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael, who wrote that "it may be the greatest children's movie ever made." A visual feast from start to finish, the timeless tale of The Black Stallion plays out on almost mythic terms. A young boy survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a deserted island with a graceful black stallion, with whom the boy develops an almost empathic friendship. After being rescued and returning home, the two make a winning team as jockey and lightning-fast racehorse under the tutelage of a passionate trainer, played by Mickey Rooney in an Oscar-nominated role. From its serenely hypnotic island sequence to the breathtaking race scenes, this delightful film is guaranteed to enthrall any viewer, regardless of age. The Black Stallion is a genuine masterpiece of family entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Young Alec Ramsay and a wild stallion are cast adrift and help each other survive on a desolate island.
Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: G
Release Date: 1-MAY-2001
Media Type: DVD

Never Cry Wolf

Carroll Ballard's 1983 adaptation of Farley Mowat's autobiographical novel turns his life-changing experience studying the wolves in Canada's inhospitable North into a moving drama of one man's courage and discovery of nature's majesty. Charles Martin Smith plays green biologist Tyler, sent by the Canadian government to "prove" that the wolves are depleting the caribou herds, but what he finds is a natural world in perfect harmony where he becomes a tolerated outsider. Dumped unprepared in the wilds by a hard drinking bush pilot (Brian Dennehy), Tyler learns survival skills from the aged Eskimo who saves his life and the rules of coexistence from a neighboring wolf (which results in a literal pissing contest as man and beast mark their respective territories). Tyler's journey culminates in the majestic run with the wolf pack, an exhilarating sequence where for an instant he becomes one with natural environment of the wilds. For all its beauty, however, Tyler's experience becomes a bittersweet lesson as the encroachment of hunters, tourism, and the social landscape threaten the natural order. As in his previous film, the delicate and lovely The Black Stallion, Ballard's astounding visual treatment captures the awesome natural beauty of the Canadian wilderness with power and poignancy. Kevin Costner's Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves explores many of the themes presented in this film, but without the resonance or beauty of Ballard's unsung masterpiece. --Sean Axmaker

Filmed amid spectacular wilderness vistas, NEVER CRY WOLF reveals a world of hypnotic beauty and breathtaking cinematic imagery. An unforgettable adventure begins as Tyler, a young inexperienced biologist, is deposited alone onto the desolate Arctic terrain. Once settled, he struggles to endure the forces of nature as he documents the mysterious habits of the wolves he has been sent to study. An odyssey of self-discovery told through captivating drama, NEVER CRY WOLF is a haunting, lyrical film from the director of THE BLACK STALLION.

Iron Will

A complete lack of imagination is what qualifies this as a B movie. Thankfully, this snowy adventure about a boy and his dogs is charming enough to entice the kiddies. Charismatic MacKenzie Astin plays a teenager trying to save the family farm by entering a 522-mile sled-dog marathon. Except for Astin, the lusciously scenic background has more depth than most of the characters. This is so predictable you could take a nap and miss nothing except a few rousing scenes in the 1917 Winnipeg-to-St.-Paul sled race. Although this is visually more appealing than most family fare, one wishes more attention had been paid to the script. --Rochelle O'Gorman

A young man enters a dangerous cross-country dog sled race in an attempt to win the grand prize that will save his family from financial ruin.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Release Date: 11-NOV-2003
Media Type: DVD

White Fang

Ethan Hawke, fresh faced and full of determination, tackles the icy wilds and rowdy boom towns of Alaska in Disney's 1991 adaptation of Jack London's turn-of-the-century gold rush classic. Though somewhat tamed for young audiences, the story of a city kid who befriends a feral half-wolf/half-dog orphan while learning to survive the dangers of nature and man has its share of peril and rousing scenes of wilderness adventure. But the humans are upstaged by both the animals (the standoff between White Fang and a wild brown bear is a highlight) and the Alaskan landscape, from the snow-covered mountains and frozen lakes of winter to the rich green forests and whitecap rivers of summer. The scenes of dogfights and wild wolves hunting game are carefully shot to avoid bloodshed (the opening disclaimer takes pains to remind viewers that all such scenes have been simulated), but they may still be too intense for young children. Recommended for 9 and up. --Sean Axmaker

Story of a young man who hopes to strike it rich in the Yukon gold country at the turn of the century and his relationship with the wolf-dog White Fang.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Release Date: 11-NOV-2003
Media Type: DVD

Mighty Joe Young

Charlize Theron is the latest stunning blonde to be hanging around some big ape in a Hollywood movie, this one a remake of the 1949 semi-classic with echoes of the superior King Kong. Theron plays the daugher of an American researcher killed by poachers in Africa. The baby gorilla left in her care grows up to become a hugely tall and broad specimen named Joe, living in the mountains as a mostly unseen legend among people who live there. Along comes an eco-minded emissary (Bill Paxton) from a California sanctuary, who talks the jungle girl into providing safe haven for Joe at the L.A. facility. The transition is not without discomfort, but everything is aggravated via a conspiracy of poachers to get Joe into their own greedy hands. Director Ron Underwood (City Slickers) uses a combination of special-effects techniques to give Joe life and personality, and he succeeds quite effectively. The requisite giant-ape-goes-amok scenes are all in place--a couple of them pretty intense--as is a conclusion that finds the simian hero performing a stunning feat of escalation. Underwood attempts to give a little modern spin to some classic Hollywood conventions regarding wild hearts lost in civilization, and the results are pretty agreeable family fare. --Tom Keogh

Toby Tyler

Straight from the vault of Disney's bygone classics comes this 1960 family film about a boy who joins the circus, based on the book of the same name by James Otis Kaler. Kevin Corcoran (Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson) is unsurpassed as the earnest and endearing Toby Tyler, an orphan who lives with his poverty-stricken aunt and uncle until the day he is told he's a "millstone around their necks." When the circus comes to town, Toby runs away to join the vagabond life of the big top. Although his concessionaire boss is a con man, Toby makes fast friends with Ben Cotter (Henry Calvin) and Sam Treat (Gene Sheldon) who protect him and, in the end, receive much more from Toby than they give. The movie's best moments center on Toby's camaraderie with a mischievous chimp he names Mr. Stubbs. The final circus scenes of Toby's equine acrobatics with the pretty Mademoiselle Jeanette (Barbara Beaird), and comedic stunts with Mr. Stubbs are well worth the price of admission. The three-ring comedy is sweet and simple, sprinkled with a few wholesome life lessons. Marvelously directed in Disney's vintage style by Charles Barton (The Shaggy Dog), the overall effect will tug on a family's heartstrings and funny bone. (All ages) --Lynn Gibson

TOBY TYLER takes you back in time to when the day the circus came to town was the biggest day of the year! Now on Disney DVD, Kevin Corcoran stars as the lovable, determined runaway who believes his uncle and aunt no longer want him, and life under the Big Top will put things right. Along the way he meets Ben, Mr. Tupper, and the mischievous Mr. Stubbs -- a playful chimpanzee! Together they fall into hilarious jams and scams more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Get your peanuts, popcorn, and candied apples, and jump into a classic three-ring circus that will have the whole family in stitches!

The Jungle Book

Disney has mined Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories twice, but it has never topped this elegant, lush classic by the British Korda brothers. Producer Alexander Korda brought director Zoltan and designer Vincent to California, where they used Hollywood's resources to create a storybook India of verdant jungles, beautiful lagoons, and modest peasant villages. Sabu plays Mowgli, the man-cub raised by wolves and schooled in the jungle who returns to civilization as a young man. When greedy villagers discover that he knows of a hidden treasure, they turn the town against him and follow him to the ruins of an ancient palace (a magnificent, crumbling temple of glowing blue stone overrun with vines and vegetation). Sabu gives a vital, energetic performance, leaping and climbing like he was born to the wild and innocent of corruption and fear that infects the village. As the treasure hunters turn on one another and resort to murder for the prize they all desire, the film gets darker and fiercer than Disney ever dared in its remakes. It's still the most glorious of all versions, a grandly realized epic vision with a sense of wonder and a magnificent fantasy landscape of deep, rich colors, like a painting come to life. Joseph Calleia plays the greedy villain with his usual conniving flair. Miklós Rósza wrote the gorgeous score. Be wary of inferior video copies: the film has fallen into the public domain and is available in a proliferation of substandard prints. --Sean Axmaker

The Black Stallion Returns

A rare sequel that can stand alone, 1983's The Black Stallion Returns is both a fun follow-up to the 1979 Carroll Ballard/Francis Ford Coppola film and a fine adventure in its own right. Kelly Reno returns as the now adolescent, deceptively ordinary Alec Ramsay, who stows away on a plane for Casablanca after the titular horse is kidnapped by Arabs. Getting him back pitches Alec into the middle of tribal rivalries and all sorts of complicated, dangerous intrigue. The cast includes Teri Garr, Vincent Spano, and Woody Strode, but the real star here may be cinematographer Carlo Di Palma, a veteran of several Woody Allen films and a master of color, light, and framing. Director Robert Dalva edited the previous film and happily executes countless ideas he appears to have stored up from his first stallion outing. But it's Reno's resourceful hero--his anti-Harry Potter normalcy--that finally takes hold of viewers. --Tom Keogh

Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar

Rereleased on video 30 years after its initial release, this classic Disney movie about a motherless cougar looks great, if not quite perfect. Originally filmed in 1967 in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, the scenery and wildlife are absolutely spectacular. The story is somewhat formulaic, but entertaining just the same. A forester named Jess adopts an abandoned cougar he names Charlie, nursing him from an eyedropper and enduring many sleepless nights in the process. As Charlie grows, he's a fixture in the local logging community, where mischief abounds and laughs are plentiful. When Charlie enters his teenage years, his natural curiosity and playfulness begin to hinder the logging process, and Jess is forced to release his beloved friend. Highlights include several comic chase scenes between Charlie and a terrier named Chainsaw, an amazing logrolling sequence in which Charlie shows off some fancy footwork, and a toboggan ride that Charlie and his viewers will remember for a long time. All in all, this 75-minute adventure-comedy is perfect for the whole family. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Lost, abandoned, and frightened, a young cougar is discovered and "adopted" by a rugged lumberman named Jess Bradley (Ron Brown). Dubbed "Good Time Charlie," the cat soon lives a carefree, domestic life among the rugged logging camps of the Pacific Northwest. But Charlie is torn between this unusual way of life and his true wildlife instincts ... instincts that create friction and fear with the men of the camp. Can Charlie be introduced to his natural environment and survive? A stirring outdoor adventure; a memorable human drama!