I hadn't seen any reviews for this film before watching it so the CGI threw me off for a minute. I mean it's really well done, but you have to acclimatize yourself to the fact that Buck and every other animal in the picture was computer generated. I haven't read the Jack London novel upon which the story is based, but as so often happens after I see a movie of similar circumstance, I make it a point to do so in the near future. (Which I'm currently doing with 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo').

Personally, I liked the movie, but I can understand viewers ruing the fact that it's a sanitized version of the original work. It appears that the Disney folks gave it a family friendly treatment to appeal to the youngsters in the audience, and on that basis I thought they did a good job. On the flip side, I have to wonder at the manner in which films include cultural diversity that was never a feature of the source material. A black sled driver with a Native American companion stretches credibility about as far as one can get without being silly.

I was impressed by a particular scene where Buck takes over the lead dog sled duties and averts disaster for the team and it's human counterparts. It was when he led the dogs through the icy tunnel while the avalanche overhead was hurtling down the mountainside. If I might be allowed to guess, I think I smell a new adventure ride at Disney World.

I am not sure how the story in the book goes, but the movie was great! It had adventure, beautiful scenery, laughter, and sadness. The entire film flowed well, it had intensity and kept your thoughts wanting to discover what happened next.

There is a gold rush in the Yukon and sled dogs are needed. Buck is a big dog. He has the run of his town due to his influential owner, the Judge. He is dognapped and shipped up to Alaska where he is sold to kind mail carrier Perrault (Omar Sy). He is also befriended by drunken recluse John Thornton (Harrison Ford). When the mail route gets canceled, he is sold to vicious reckless guide Hal (Dan Stevens). More and more, he hears the Call of the Wild.

Fake Dog. Fake Dog! That's a fake dog! For the first half hour, it's a flashing neon sign. I do understand the freedom to use a CGI dog but it would be so much more real to use real dogs. I'm also tired of the showy CGI moves. The best CGI moves are being as normal as possible. Eventually, one accepts the CGI. There is a bit of humor, a bit of adventure, a bit of anthropomorphism, and a bit of Harrison being Harrison. It's fine.