The Call of the Wild Movie Review

The Call of the Wild (2020)

Rent The Call of the Wild on Amazon Video // Buy the novel
Written by: Michael Green (screenplay by), Jack London (based upon the novel by)
Directed by: Chris Sanders
Starring: Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Cara Gee, Dan Stevens, Bradley Whitford, Karen Gillan
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A sled dog struggles for survival in the wilds of the Yukon.

Verdict
Is this comedy, drama, or something else? It tries to check all the boxes and doesn't do any of them particularly well. The CGI doesn't help, it never escapes uncanny valley. Every time I see Buck, it's clear he is CGI. If this were funnier I could accept the super smart dogs easier, but then that's at odds with the drama.
Skip it.

Review
The movie plays fast and loose to create moments. How does Harrison Ford's character John narrate Buck's story before he even meets Buck? This cuts corners for emotional manipulation and comedy. I just don't know what this movie is. Is it comedy or drama? It's a safe approach to cover all the bases, but that approach achieves nothing.

Buck is CGI.

It's a strange uncanny valley with the dog's movements and reactions being too human. The CGI is obvious, and it never blends. It pulls you out of the movie every time.

Harrison Ford plays John Thornton.

The dogs do a lot of cute things, but how does that work? A lot of what we see isn't possible. At one point an avalanche reverses course to enter a cave and chase after the dog sled.
The movie creates a villain for no real reason and he makes a trek on foot with no supplies that took John and Buck over a week on a dog sled.

Realism is severely lacking. That's okay if this is a goofy, comedic movie, but this has some emotionally pandering moments that are completely manufactured that feel more serious than that.