Call Of The Wild 3-D (2009/Vivendi DVD)

 

Picture: C+/C-     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Film: C

 

 

Jack London’s Call Of The Wild has been made in onto film going back since at least 1923 and to do it again, after all this time, you would have to come up with something different.  85+ years later, Director Richard Gabai decided to try 3-D and the result is about as forgettable as all the previous versions.  Though one would not expect to find a 3-D version definitive of any work of literature, this plays on a level not much above a TV movie.

 

In 3-D or 2-D versions, both included here, this is meant to be family friendly and the casting of Christopher Lloyd, Joyce DeWitt and Jaleel White in particular are aimed to make it so, though Timothy Bottoms, Veronica Cartwright and Wes Studi also participate in the same vein as a young lady (Ariel Gade) finds a dog and saves it from being sick.  A no good idiot claims the dog is his and instead of giving the dog to either, the local sheriff (for whatever reason) decided “Buck” will be the prize of a dog sled race.  You can predict the rest.

 

Scenery can be interesting, but the 2-D version looks very weak and the 3-D version may look better, but the effect only works in a very limited way.  Both are presented as anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 images, but you can even see softness in the 3-D version that should not be there.  This just never looks great.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is basic and stretches what is a basic stereo mix at best.  There are no extras, though 2 pair of 3-D glasses are included in the case.

 

For 3-D fanatics only.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo