1 Contemplative journey
For me this movie is a winner because of the uncomplicated way in which it makes its point. The awesome sweeping landscapes and the isolation of the man are haunting. There is beautiful footage of wolves. In terms of film-making it does for the wolf what Peter Mathiessen's book The Snow Leopard did for the snow leopard, i.e. it gives them an aura of mystique. But there is enough reality check to balance that, and the point about the wilderness being invaded and exploited and changed by man is very subtly made. This is an underplayed film because it doesn't need drama; the landscape is enough.
I also can't resist a rejoinder to a quote another reviewer produced as follows : {Vilhjalmur Stefanson, a famed explorer, said, "An adventure is a sign of incompetence . . . If everything is well managed, if there are no miscalculations or mistakes, then the things that happen are only the things you expected to happen, for which you are ready and with which you can therefore deal."} .....
...To which, with due respect to Mr Stefanson, I would respond that on the contrary, true adventure occurs when something unplanned and unscripted takes place, when you happen upon a road you didn't know was there and take it, when something you do NOT expect happens and you experience and and learn from it. Mr
Stefanson may have been a great explorer, but by his own definition I doubt that he had much adventure, so he perhaps is not quite qualified enough to lecture on the nature of adventure - or if he did have adventure, he didn't see it as such, which is sad. Here's a take on him from Jon Krakauer : ''Stefanson was a guy who bragged that he never had adventures. He said that if you have an adventure, you're doing something wrong, that if you really plan things out in the vein of Amundsen, you don't have adventures. (Now, having said this, Stefanson relates sort of proudly how he almost got ambushed by a polar bear. Stefanson had plenty of adventures!)''
2 A brilliant and under-appreciated classic
This film, in my opinion Carroll Ballard's best (he also directed The Black Stallion and Fly Away Home), is a visual feast. It has excellent performances from the entire (small) cast and is both funny and serious... even profound. There are some flaws, but in the face of the haunting score, the stunning cinematography, the well-honed script (much of it by the film's star, CM Smith), and the direction of an unsung master of the medium who addresses themes of nature, these flaws are unimportant. When I teach film classes I use the opening credits to illustrate the power of the long shot in nature, the campfire scene wherein Ootek invokes the spirit of the wolf as an example of use of natural light and shadow. It does not take the easy or expected way; it is both ambiguous and didactic to some extent.
Sadly, the film remains underappreciated by Disney. There are no extras on the DVD at all, and this is criminal, considering that a documentary on the film's production was made.
If you have not seen this film, you are missing an important American movie and a really satifying experience. This is one that you will want to talk about when it is over.
3 A excellent telling of a complex story
I adored this film, it tells the story of a lone researchers near fatal trip to study Artic Wolves with the intention of discovering if they are responsible for a decline in the Carabu population.
Of course events do not unfold as smoothly as his mission plans and the journey for the researcher becomes all consuming, far from sticking to his remit he becomes almost obsessed with the wolves and their survival (he was meant to kill one and study it's stomach contents to assess for Carabu remains).
There are themes of captilism versus the natural world here and I don't think I have ever seen a film that puts the argument across in such a seductive and convincing way. One becomes utterly captivated and seducued by Tyler's (the main character) journey in a mirror image of his own change of perspective. The Inuit people who star in the film are equally captivating, representing the old and new Inuit as they do, one acutely aware of the dying of the light of their people's and the other intoxicicated by the trappings of western life. In watching this film one loses a sense of what matters in the western world and this world becomes all their is, so clever the film makers can induce to experience the film as Tyler experiences his journey, there are times one forgets it is a contempapry film. No cars, few people and vast expanses of open space as well as Tyler looking postively from another time.
This is one Disney film that does not get enough airings, possibly because it is not the usual sugery fayre of that studio, their films usually have contrived happy endings and such visible morals they slap you hard in the face. This film is much more complex, subtle and requires more head work.
It is highly political, gritty and realistic and even features Tyler running round amongst a heard of Carabu wearing nothing but his socks, boots and glasses; SHOCK, HORROR!
It seems silly to shelve the film in order to avoid politics and non sexual nudity, just to keep the peace because in so doing a very importnat issue is also avoided.
A reality check I would offer this films critics would include how much the environmental movement has come on since the time it was made and secondly, as long as the nude scene is, there is only one or two scenes in which Tyler's penis is actually visible and one in which you can see his testicles from a rear view, but so what? is such non sexual nudity really so shameful?
4 Movie - 5 stars, transfer - 1 star
When will Disney clean up the visual noise in this beautiful classic? This film deserves it, and soon (next release).
5 Great movie and great book!
This was one of the first (and few) books I read for fun while I was growing up. Then when the movie came out, it was the icing on the cake. Today I'm ordering it for my dad for Father's Day in rememberance of "back then." I can't wait to watch it with him after all these years.
6 proto "lost in translation"
Well, at least, I get the same sort of feeling from both films. I am biased--I love Alaska, the wilderness, and hate people. So the setting of this film works for me--something I picture in my mind when i am stuck in rush hour traffic. There is some slow moments in the plot. The movie has some feel-good undertones to it. However, the sound in most movies is merely a backdrop. In this, it really serves to move the film along, to connect on a different level. Sound plays into the plot. My favorite scene is when the scientist is sitting on a hill playing his oboe to a midnight Alaskan sun. There is something transcendent about that very scene. I almost see it as the connection of two worlds. Regardless, I would highly recommend it.
7 Gets better with every viewing!
I saw "Never Cry Wolf" when it was released in 1983, mostly because I'm a fan of the actor Charles Martin Smith. I was not prepared for the power and depth of the film, which seemed to speak on several levels at once -- native culture, conservation of natural resources, and a man's journey of discovery.
When the VHS release was available, I bought it, and have not only watched the film many times, but also loaned it to friends. With each watching I learn more about myself and the incredible world we've been given, and the stupidity of choices motivated by greed. I also learn more about the power of story, myth, and belief. Watching this film is a healing, energizing, and nearly mystical experience for me. And I'm not alone in such an assessment. The widescren DVD version is a delight, highly recommended. This isn't just another "nature" film, or a glorified Disney or Discovery Channel sort of thing. This film touches the spirit as well as the mind, with its beautiful images, haunting sounds, and subtle performances that never put the actor ahead of the story.
8 Strains credibility
I finally got around to watching this movie. I had heard great things about it for a very long time. But I found myself thinking that the way the scientist gets set down in the middle of the Arctic was either a bit of artistic license or an indication that he and his employers were absolute morons.
Think about it. How much sense does it make for someone in the 1970s or 80s or whenever the story takes place in to go up to an extremely remote and bitterly cold place with no real survival plan? I mean, he didn't even have a sleeping bag!! And he let his pilot toss his gear out of the plane at random.
The movie is beautifully filmed, and I may watch the rest of it for the scenes with the wolves. But the opening makes me think of the following:
Vilhjalmur Stefanson, a famed explorer, said, "An adventure is a sign of incompetence . . . If everything is well managed, if there are no miscalculations or mistakes, then the things that happen are only the things you expected to happen, for which you are ready and with which you can therefore deal."
9 Ten stars? Talk about a pissing contest
Never Cry Wolf is an adaptation of Farley Mowat's unforgettable autobiographical novel. Charles Martin Smith plays the protagonist, a biologist dropped (literally) into the Canadian wilderness to study the question of whether wolves are responsible for the depletion of the caribou herds. What begins as a scientific adventure turns into a life-changing experience as Smith is rescued and taught by an aged Eskimo, then begins to learn the perfect harmony and balance of the wilderness by a neighboring wolf herd. The pissing contest (again, literally) occurs as the alpha male marks his territory; then Smith drinks TONS of tea and sets about peeing at the perimeter of his own territory. There are other wonderful scenes, such as when Smith traps and eats mice to prove that the wolves don't need to kill caribou to survive: they do just fine with mice. Lots and lots of mice. Another unforgettable scene is Smith stripped naked and running with the pack through the green tundra of spring, back and forth, back and forth; to watch that scene is to experience his exhilaration firsthand.
At its most basic, Never Cry Wolf is an adventure tale. But at its most serious, it's a bittersweet lesson on the effects of hunters, tourists, and government programs on the fragile natural world.
10 Inspiring Movie!
This is a movie that I have watched countless times over the past ten years, and each time I am inspired by both the amazing wilderness of northern Canada and by the obstacles that the main character must overcome. The score, composed by Mark Isham, is also a gem.
The main character, tyler (played by Charles Martin Smith), is sent to the Canadian Arctic to discover if wolves are responsible for the disapearance of the once vast herds of carribou. Along the way, Tyler must struggle to find his true self and conquer his insecurities, while at the same time, try to survive in an environment that is completely alien to him.
This movie dates to a time before Disney lost it's nerve to make interesting and original films. The beautiful vistas, music, acting, and story, make this in my opinion, a must see movie.
11 Alone But Never Alone
Wherever we are in this world, we are never truly alone -- only in our minds. This movie has great cinematography, but the real-life experience is what is the big draw. Some hard-nosed environmentalists, not to be confused with true environmentalists, may be offended by this movie (because they blame all "ills" on mankind). However, the look-and-see attitude of the plot is great and really is calming for our warp-speed attitudes of modern-day life. That is not to say it is slow and plodding, by any means. The twists and turns keep your interest and give you a love for nature and our world far better than the Walden books by Thoreau or other "classics". This is a must-see for mature and maturing people of high school age or older (younger people may well enjoy it, but may miss the "message"). Recommended.
12 Carrol Ballard is a genius...
when it comes to stories of man and nature, and this is probably the best example. Never Cry Wolf is a wholly submersive film that will will tap your marrow for it's lost links with nature. This film is stunning all around. I can't begin to imagine the patience the filmmakers must have had in undertaking this task.
13 Not for Everyone - Some Don't Get It!
I absolutely loved the genre, cinematography, musical score, and the script of this movie. It is a classic, for its type. However, with many people giving it a one star it is obvious that it doesn't fit some poeple - for reasons of personality. If you're a classic Extrovert, in the context of Jung's types, this film is probably not your cup of tea. More than likely it is a good fit, if you are cerebral, an Introvert, philosophical, a lover of solitude, a lover of nature and beauty, and you possess a dry sense of humour to boot.
14 The Primordial Beast
Never Cry Wolf along with The Bear make up the two great "green" movies of the 1980's. This film tells the odyssey of a man dispatched to study the wolves in the Canadian north to determine if they are killing the Caribou in the area. The simple plot can be interpreted on several different levels. For many it will be a simple adventure story. Some will learn something and overcome their misconceptions and suspicions about wolves (race). For others Tyler is a man who is an outsider and is detached from the civilized society he leaves behind only to become a member of the sylvan society he is sent to study. No longer in the constructed reality of man he begins to see the true reality that is nature. Tyler comes in touch with what Jack London called the "Primordial Beast". As Tyler gets in touch with the "Beast" within himself he learns what the wolf and the land means to others. To the Natives the wolf has a spiritual as well as an economic significance. The pilot who takes Tyler to the study area only sees the real estate value of the land. In the end it is not the wolf that is a threat to nature but man himself, no matter how harmoniously in touch with nature he may be, that is the culprit for all environmental crises.
NCW also has one of the more honest and truthful depictions of Native Peoples ever on film. The glimpse is of real people as opposed to actors playing a stereotypical role. Their authenticity, along with the wolves and cinematography, gives a documentary feel to the film. The cinematography is some of the best ever filmed. There is also little dialog in the film with the character's actions speaking louder than words.
NCW was also ahead of its time in 1983. With the current debate for drilling in ANWR and the reintroduction of wolves in the Southwest NCW is more relevant today than it was twenty years ago. NCW will make you want to put on a pack and trek 20 miles to the middle of nowhere and find your "Beast".
15 Okay, but
I won't bother re iterating the story since so many others have, but I will warn others about what I wished I'd been warned about. This man is shown for quite a long time nude. It isn't done in a sexual sense, but all the same, those of you who planned on this being a family viewing movie (as we did) may want to have this knowledge ahead of time so you can think about whether you want your children in the area or not.
Watch for two areas: One; after the man falls through ice, the next scene will show nude buttocks close up. Two; much later in the movie - after the man goes swimming nude, and is sunning himself there will be a long time scene of caribou running in which he is nude the entire scene, since he was caught that way.
16 Most outstanding video ever
This movie has excellent acting, beautiful scenery, is spellbinding, has humor, and is definitely for animal lovers everywhere. I am delighted to be able to buy a NEW copy to replace my used copy. The ending is a little hoaky, but is based on reality and the rest of of the movie more than makes up for it.
17 This movie evolves for me every time I watch it
Upon first viewing, this movie seemed to me to be little more than a pretty, weak-plotted 'conservation' film, but many subsequent viewings reveal such a wonderfully subtle plot it is nothing short of amazing that I missed it completely the first times through.
Not wanting to ruin any 'evolutions' of this movie for others, I'll just take the famous running-with-the-caribou scene. People's reactions this scene usually vary as follows:
1) Puritanical conservatives see it as an example of gross obscenity with a man 'revealing himself'. [This despite the fact that this movie lacks anything resembling such sexuality or sensuality. And yes, I've found a decent number of people that do find this scene OBscene for a PG movie.]
2) Your average film viewer just sees Tyler watching wolves chase down caribou as purely a spectator and a human one at that.
3) Yet others yet see Tyler as a man being utterly ridiculous and chasing down caribou himself. [I was in this group for many viewings]
I finally realized that this scene was really a moment of self-actualization for Tyler, himself lamenting earlier in the film always condemned to be an observer. For a moment, he understands Ootek, and like Ootek was as a boy, Tyler is "devoured by the wolf." At the moment of this chase, Tyler was a man only in physical appearance. For all other intents and purposes, he is a wolf. At least that's how I see it now. Maybe my opinion will change again the next time I watch it.
It's sad and telling of today's Disney how they distance themselves from this movie, retaining ownership only in the most formal of ways, so they still collect the profits at least. Only the most vigilant viewers will even notice this is a Disney film at all. Their name appears only in fine print copyright notices. It appears otherwise to the unassuming person to have been made independently and (very strangely!) a distributor's/third party logo (Anchor Bay) takes the place of a studio logo (Disney's) any place you might expect one. I've never seen such an attempt by a studio to distance themselves from a GREAT release, yet Disney plasters their name and logo all over a myriad of truly awful direct-to-video animation ventures and also promote to this day the movie 'Tron', a contemporary of 'Never Cry Wolf'.
I guess I'm just as happy they've let this movie be. It stands on its own well enough and doesn't have to have the full court press from a major studio to convince people to like it and buy it. Give it SEVERAL chances, you will find it a very meaningful way to spend a little spare time.
18 A TIMELESS PIECE !!
1983 was a very interesting year in the chronology of movies that came from the disney studios. Never Cry Wolf moreso, because sandwhiched between movies like Tron and the first Touchstone release Splash, Disney's 'Never Cry Wolf' was the first truly sophisticated family animal movie the studio produced. Defiantly breaking the mold of traditional films of the genre. Never Cry Wolf brought the True Life adventure into the modern era. The sound and cinematography in this film I think has still yet to be discovered and surpassed even 20 years on!! A gracefull, almost unintentionally deep film, that at the time looked as if it may set a precedent and 'raise the bar' so to speak as what we could expect in the future from Disney. Sadly the new regime that moved in the following year perhaps thought that this direction was not commercial enough. And Disney live action films never quite went into the sophisticated direction N.C.Wolf did. Although it certainly wasnt a failure at the box office, it never was a great money spinner but I think its because its never REALLY been discovered. It is seldom if ever mentioned retrospectively and yet it is a fresh and scintillating, gorgeous movie today, while other films of that era (80's) have become fixed in there time. That isnt to say Disney hasnt produced some gems in the past twenty years, but Never Cry Wolf has never really received the acclamation it deserves. Though critics responded positively to the film it eventually faded away in a vault somewhere. Thanks to this marvelous DVD release perhaps it will be discovered. It is truly breathtaking.
19 One of my favorite movies ever.
You probably have to have a feel for nature and animals to especially enjoy this film. But the acting, story line, scenery, and directing are top notch.
In my top 10 favorites ever.
20 Great movie for nature lovers!
If you love the outdoors and wild America, you'll love this movie. It is mature enough that any adult can enjoy it, yet tame enough that children can too. It gives you a glance at what our lives could be like without all the chains of modern living. Great acting, beautiful country, awesome wildlife!
21 Feels Just Like Arctic Alaska
My wife Chris and I live in the far north, and watch this movie again and again. I remember one winter evening with chill factors about 80 below zero when we put on our cross country skis and made our way 2 miles to a restaurant on the shores of the Chukchi Sea.
We had hot tea and reindeer soup and watched "Never Cry Wolf" on national TV. Even though we have a video copy at home, this was special, with the winds howling around the old wooden restaurant building and the sky above the ice-covered ocean a deep black.
Charles Martin Smith is at his best as the suddenly transplanted researcher.
But I know bush pilots like the one played by Brian Dennehy---they fly all over Arctic Alaska and keep us all going!!!
And the Inuits Ootok and Mike are real as well, especially their knowledge of the wildlife, and their low-key and economical use of words.
One Inupiaq elder told me once that everytime you speak, you lose part of your brain. So I'll sign off now, but please, get this film and thoroughly enjoy it, on a regular basis.
22 One of the very best
The first time I saw Never Cry Wolf on the big screen in 1983 is a day I'll never forget. When the credits started rolling and I came back down to earth, I could not remember where I was or what I had done that day up to that point. The film had so overwhelmed me that everything else seemed unimportant, and the film seemed like the only reality. That had never happened before and it's never happened since.
It took me many years and many more viewings to figure out why this film is so extraordinary. For the first 45 minutes or so, Never Cry Wolf is content to be a conventional "Man and Nature" film, with the "natives" being set up in the "noble savage" archetype--they are the ideal, the "good guys," the righteous ones, while White man is evil (except for our hero Tyler). It's a structure that's been used many times, and it's fine. Of course all this is beautifully-filmed and hauntingly beautiful, but the film was still fairly conventional, albeit extremely well-done.
But then it unleashes a surprise, which turns the story on its head. Tyler is talking to Mike, his Inuit friend, one of the "noble" ones, one of the "good guys." Mike reveals that he would like to kill wolves, and explains why. The reasons sound so much like the reasons of "White" man.
This casual revelation stuns Tyler--and us too. The film shatters the "noble savage" archetype in a brief, economic scene. (The penultimate scene, also between Tyler and Mike, which could be considered as an extension of this scene, is equally brief and economical. The script is a masterpiece of understated writing.)
Never Cry Wolf takes the old archetype of civilized man being dropped into nature and finding it a "purer," "richer" existence, and stands it on its head. No doubt Tyler still finds it this way, but he also learns Darwin's oldest rule: survival of the fittest. At the end of the film Tyler tells us he has learned there are no heroes and no villains. Indeed we never find out who is responsible for the film's final act of carnage, and that is one of the film's greatest strengths. This, and Bambi, are the only two Disney films ever made that embrace ambiguity as a dramatic element. For that reason I've always regarded these, and not "Fantasia," as Disney's riskiest--and greatest--films. So many movies make a lot of noise about how they are going to shake up our worlds. This one really does, very quietly. Yet even many of the movie's greatest proponents never seem to latch onto this. Some even see it as a wide-eyed call for conservation. It is actually nothing of the sort.
As others have stated, the music/cinematography/acting/directing are all marvelous. The wolves are well-trained performers--I once had the pleasure of visiting the wildlife preserve where they were living out their "retired days." And the last shot--an ad lib between Charles Martin Smith and Zachary Ittimangnaq, is endearingly sweet, without being sappy in the least. This is film with sentiment, but it is not *sentimental.* It would never get made today. (Seems like I say that about most of my favorite films.)
And that's the reason I *suspect* Disney treats this film very shabbily. It was made the year before Michael Eisner took over the studio. Eisner likes Big Event films. Never Cry Wolf is a small film. Eisner likes fantasy. NCW was based on a true story. Eisner likes stars. NCW has none. Studio chiefs rarely tout the work of their predecessors--if anything, they have an investment in making such work look as poor as possible. Yet it's hard to deny that while Disney has made more popular films since then, it has never made something as, well, deep. The studio today seems to have forgotten about the movie, or wants the world to. On the latest DVD release, except for a small legal notice on the disc itself, you'd be hard-pressed to find proof this is Disney's product at all. The transfer to DVD was farmed out. Even the Disney studio logo at the film's start has been completely lobbed off! (The logo of the company that transferred it to DVD replaces it.)
It's clear Disney wants nothing to do with this film today. Nothing in any of the studio's theme parks, collections of literature, or merchandizing even acknowledge its existence. The DVD has NO extras--not even a theatrical trailer. The Internet Movie Database lists a TV documentary, "The Making of Never Cry Wolf," that surely could have been included. It wasn't. Most upsetting of all, the DVD is *not* enhanced or anamorphic. That means it will look crappy on a high-definition TV. Comparing it to my old VHS copy, it appears the DVD was take from the same print of the film, meaning they probably just dubbed the VHS version to DVD!
A travesty. Maybe someone could do a proper restoration of this great, neglected film. (You listening, Criterion?) It's great to have the film on DVD, but it deserves better treatment from its studio than it's gotten so far. (You listening, Eisner?)
23 Fine fictionalized documentary ahead of its time
This fictionalization of the Farley Mowat book about his Arctic adventures studying wolves is amazingly enough perhaps the most controversial film Disney studios ever made. How sad is that? The reasons for the controversy would seem minor: first, the movie is not entirely true to Mowat's book; two, it's lightly plotted; and three, a man is seen running around naked in the tundra. To which I say, so what? so what? and gee, how offensive. (Maybe they should have clothed the wolves.)
The latter complaint is the major reason for all the ranting by some "reviewers." To them a Disney film showing human nakedness seems a sacrilege and they want their bowdlerized world returned to them, and they want Disney censured and made to promise never to do anything like that again! The complaint that there wasn't enough tension in the film is also off base since this is a contemplative, even spiritual film, not a slick thriller. People with sound-bite attention spans who need to mainline exploding cars and ripped flesh to keep them interested need not apply.
The criticism that Director Carroll Ballard's film is not entirely true to the book is legitimate, but I would point out that movies are seldom if ever entirely true to their source material. A film is one kind of media with its particular demands while a book is another. It is impossible to completely translate a book into a movie. Something is always inevitably lost, but something is often gained. Here the cinematography and the beautiful musical score by Mark Isham are fine compensations.
The acting by Charles Martin Smith as "Tyler" (Farley Mowat) and Brian Dennehy as Rosie, the exploitive redneck bushpilot, and Samason Jorah as Mike the compromised Inuit (who sells wolf skins for dentures) and especially Zachary Ittimangnaq as Ootek, the quiet, wise man of the north are also pluses. Note how compactly the main issues of the film are exemplified in these four characters. Indeed, what this film is about is the dying of a way of life, not just that of the wolves, but of the Inuit people themselves who are losing their land and their resources while their young people are being seduced away from what is real and true and time-honored for the glittering trinkets of the postmodern world. This is a story of impending loss and it is as melancholy as the cold autumn wind that blows across the tundra.
What I think elevates this above most nature films is first the intense sense of what it would be like for a lower forty-eight kind of guy to survive in a most inhospitable wilderness, and second the witty presentation of some of the scenes. Ballard works hard to make sure we understand that it is cold, very cold and desolate and that there are dangers of exposure and weather and just plain loss of perspective that have killed many a would-be adventurer and might very well kill Tyler. I think it was entirely right that near the end of the film we get the sense that Tyler is going off the deep end emotionally, that the majestic and profoundly melancholy experience has been too much for him.
Tyler begins as a greenhorn biologist dropped alone onto a frozen lake amid snow covered mountains rising in the distance so that we can see immediately how puny he is within this incredibly harsh vastness. The following scene when Ootek finds him and leaves him and he chases Ootek until he drops, and then Ootek saves him, gives him shelter, and leaves again without a word, was just beautiful. And the scenes with the "mice" and running naked among the caribou and teaching Ootek to juggle were delightful. The territorial marking scene was apt and witty and tastefully done. (At least, I don't think the wolves were offended.)
This movie was not perfect, however. For one thing, those were not "mice" that Tyler found his tent infested with. I suspect they were lemmings posing for the cameras. Those who have seen the film about the making of this movie undoubtedly know what they were; please advise me if you do. Also the "interior" of Tyler's tent was way too big to fit into the tent as displayed. Also it would be important from a nutritional point of view for Tyler to eat the "mice" raw as the wolves did! (The actual creatures that Mowat ate I assume were mice.) If Tyler had to exist purely on roasted and boiled rodent for many months, he would encounter some nutritional deficiencies. Still, eating a diet of the whole, uncooked mouse would be sustaining whereas a diet of lean meat only would not. (Add blubber and internal organs for an all-meat diet to work.) Incidentally, the Inuit people get their vitamin C from blubber and the contents of the stomachs of the animals they kill.
Where were the mosquitos and the biting flies that the tundra is infamous for?
Since this movie appeared almost twenty years ago, the public image of the wolf has greatly improved and wolves have been reintroduced to Yellowstone Park. I think everybody in this fine production can take some credit for that.
24 Sooooo good...............
I will keep this short: this movie is outstanding. Buy it.
25 Bad PR for a good cause
As a wolf-lover & conservationist I was thrilled to see this movie in theaters when it was released in 1983. Unfortunately it does not live up to expectations, and I'm afraid it does the wildlife preservation cause more harm than good. The movie is boring even for an animal lover, and it seems Disney was counting on the beautiful scenery to carry the movie over. There is no plot to speak of, with the whole idea of the show being that wolves are not the bad guys, men are. The story if there is one revolves around a scientist who goes "native" in the artic to study wolves. Going native includes running buck naked through the artic tundra with a herd of carbou, complete with a clear shot of the scientist's genetial, and disputing territory with the resident wolf by marking territory his way - urinating. I don't know how Disney got away without an R rating on this show. The end result is a show that protrays naturalists as excentrics, a reputation they already have a hard time living down.
26 Outstanding movie
I saw this in the theatre back in 1983 and it is just as good now as it was then. Don't listen to the reviewers that discredit this fine movie. It is obvious that they have grown up in the age of videogames and the WWF. If you consider yourself as having a brain, buy this movie. You won't regret it!
27 AT LAST "WOLVES" GET GOOD REVIEW
So for once Wolves are proven to be the good guys and, no less done even!, in an entertaining and sometimes humerous way. I would reommend this for adults and chldren alike. In fact a good DVD to introduce children to nature documentaries. I'm a Wolf fan myself as well as a fan of both stars in this so found DVD very satisfying. Will be watching this film many many times in the years to come. I would highly recommend this to everyone!!!!!! One problem though with DVD itself. Not enough features on it, in fact none at all!!!!! Still worth buying though, even just for two widths of screen viewing.
28 Five stars...
for this excellent film.
As for several of the other reviewers who panned the film...Perhaps they should study grammar and spelling (and Cinema for that matter) before attempting a review on a film of such obvious beauty and intelligence.
29 A DISNEY CLASS ACT
1983 was a very interesting year in the chronology of movies that came from the disney studios. Never Cry Wolf moreso, because sandwhiched between movies like Tron and the first Touchstone release Splash, Disney's 'Never Cry Wolf' was the first truly sophisticated family animal movie the studio produced. Defiantly breaking the mold of traditional films of the genre. Never Cry Wolf brought the True Life adventure into the modern era. The sound and cinematography in this film I think has still yet to be discovered and surpassed even 20 years on!! A gracefull, almost unintentionally deep film, that at the time looked as if it may set a precedent and 'raise the bar' so to speak as what we could expect in the future from Disney. Sadly the new regime that moved in the following year perhaps thought that this direction was not commercial enough. And Disney live action films never quite went into the sophisticated direction N.C.Wolf did. Although it certainly wasnt a failure at the box office, it never was a great money spinner but I think its because its never REALLY been discovered. It is seldom if ever mentioned retrospectively and yet it is a fresh and scintillating, gorgeous movie today, while other films of that era (80's) have become fixed in there time. That isnt to say Disney hasnt produced some gems in the past twenty years, but Never Cry Wolf has never really received the acclamation it deserves. Though critics responded positively to the film it eventually faded away in a vault somewhere. Thanks to this marvelous DVD release perhaps it will be discovered. It is truly breathtaking.
30 Never Cry Wolf a Classic
The reviews that call this a horrible film just shows how some of us have different tastes. As for me I would have to agree with the others a great film of all times. You cant miss having this in your collection.
31 The money making this movie was completely wasted.
This is the worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life.
There is no plot.
There is no character development.
There is no interesting dialogue.
There is not one thing of interest in this movie.
Please, please, please, do not waste your money on this movie. It will not be worth it.
I think that this is the worst movie of all time, quite frankly.
(note: many people think that the beautiful scenery is nice. It is nice, but if you want to see some Alaskan vistas check you local calendar store.)
32 OUTSTANDING!
This is without a doubt a magnificent film! Charles Martin Smith plays a biologist who travels to the Arctic to study the local wolf population. Along the way he encounters some very colorful characters and embarks on a journey of discovery that changes him thoroughly. The cinematography, script, plot and acting all come together to make one of the greatest movies of all time. Highly, highly recommended.
33 Great movie, fairly good DVD
Disney's best and least publicized non-animation film. This very sparse, minimalized, almost transendental film is a great relief in an age of bells & whistles. Even the score is very hollow and hauntingly gorgeous! There is no sex, no car chase, no guns, no explosions, no special effects, and a cast of only about 4 actors, all men; yet this film will keep you interested again and again. Anyone who loves the outdoors and animals should see this fabulous film! The DVD lacks a few extras such as subtitling and foreign languages, and a commentary or making-of feature would be awesome as the filming of this movie must be as much of a spectacular tale as the film itself. But the picture-quality is quite good if just a wee bit grainy. Charles Martin Smith is great in this film and should have received an Oscar for a grand performance as an out of place scientist who slowly comes to adapt himself to the arctic wilderness. I have always loved this rare and beautiful film.
34 Ignore Reviewer Of January 26-27, 2002 must have been Drunk.
It's sad that some people don't get the finer things in life, like a beautiful, simple movie like Never Cry Wolf. The reviewer of January 26 and January 27 2002, the same person obviously did not see the same movie the rest of us saw. Pity, he must have been drunk. NEVER CRY WOLF is one of the finest movies of all time and a wonderful story. Period. Too bad reviewer "George" took the time to put it down. People see through that kind of writing. Five stars all the way.
35 A beautiful, peaceful, intelligent movie...
This movie is a superb effort. It comes across as more of a documentary than a motion picture; a powerful asset to this film. The story is of a man who goes North to "study" wolves for the government, but finds out quickly that nature doesn't give her secrets away easily. The simple relationship between man and his environment has rarely been brought to the silver screen in such a truthful, realistic way. Never Cry Wolf is a must for anyone that has ever believed in their heart that there was a better way to do something.
36 Please, DO cry wolf on this one...
THIS IS THE ABSOLUTELY WORST MOVIE THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT ZERO STARS ( OR POSSIBLE NEGATIVE). What kind of movie only has a cast of 8 people? The best characters were the wolves! I think that THEY should have gotten a higher salary than the people in it! Please, please, please, do yourself a favor and don't see this movie. YOu will not regret it. (or, hey, you could do like me and watch it fastforwarded the whole time)
CRY WOLF ON THIS ONE!
37 THIS IS THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN!
This movie is BY FAR the stupidest and most boring movie I have ever seen in my entire life. There is no plot at all. There is not thought provoking dialogue AT ALL. There is absolutely nothing of interest. (Unless, of course, you like to stare at mountain vistas for AN HOUR AND A HALF!!) I FOUND IT DISAPPOINTING THAT DISNEY MADE THIS MOVIE. Please, I beg of you, do not see this movie. It is not worth your time and effort. (Of course, you could watch it like I did... my thumb on the fast-forward button the ENTIRE time!)
38 THIS IS THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN!
This movie is BY FAR the stupidest and most boring movie I have ever seen in my entire life. There is no plot at all. There is not thought provoking dialogue AT ALL. There is absolutely nothing of interest. (Unless, of course, you like to stare at mountain vistas for AN HOUR AND A HALF!!) I FOUND IT DISAPPOINTING THAT DISNEY MADE THIS MOVIE. Please, I beg of you, do not see this movie. It is not worth your time and effort. (Of course, you could watch it like I did... my thumb on the fast-forward button the ENTIRE time!)
39 Best Adult DIsney Film!
I have always loved this movie since it was released. A must have even for non disney fans! When I found out it was on DVD I did not hesitate to get it. Great sad moments as well as Thought provoking ones, and,my favorites, the comic mice scene, and marking of territories. There is suprisingly little interaction between human charcters in this story. The interactions between the lone scientist and the wildlife compromises most of the scenes. It's an amazing masterpiece film! A great contrast to todays fastpaced paced, little plot, high digital effect films.
40 Disgusting vulgar & pointless
I've only seen this movie once, and that was too many times. The plot is slow moving at best, and the message of the film is lost in the presentation. Unless you like to see a grown man & an over-grown dog get in a peeing contest or want to see a naked human running across barren tundra of the frozen North don't even bother with this piece of garbage. Save your time & money and don't watch this film.
41 Just the film, beautifully transferred. Bravo, Anchor Bay!
Just received my DVD copy. No extras, no features, just widescreen on one side, pan 'n' scan on the other. (The insert card features a reproduction of the original release one-sheet poster.)
I'm amazed at the crystal clear audio. Color quality and detail are excellent. This is the best DVD I've seen, period. Even in extreme zoom, the MPEG detail is great.
A little bit of MPEG artifacting can be seen in extremely dark scenes, but using "enhanced" black level may correct for this. A few print defects are visible; they probably encoded this from an extant studio print.
In general, this is a great buy. Anchor Bay has lovingly restored this film to its initial release brilliance. Bravo! Unless you're more amused by bells 'n' whistles than the quality of the film, you'll be glad you bought this disc. If you love the film (as I do), you couldn't be more pleased.
42 A truely great adventure movie
I am so glad this movie has been re-released. I have been looking for it for years now and couldn't believe my luck when I saw that it was available again. The film has everything! Great photography, good music, action and suspense. The story is still as fresh and relevant today as it was when it was made, maybe even more now with the re-introduction of wolves in several areas.
43 Never Pass Up on "Never Cry Wolf"
By far my most favorite movie of all time, this movie is perfect in every way. The DVD version is crisp and with widescreen and full frame on it, I am in heaven. Charles Martin Smith actually resembles me in an earlier year and the poster hangs in my office. This story is so poignant and touching, I am moved each time I watch it, which numbers well over 150 times in my life. The underlying message is that nature is pure in its simple forms away from man and we should not intervene for the sake of progress. Overall, this movie is a classic and belongs on your shelf.
44 A beatiful story about man vs. nature!
Never Cry Wolf is movie about man who is supposed go study wolves in the wilds of Alaska. The story deals with the trials he must trying to live in the wild. Eventually he discovers he must protect the wolves and stop man from hunting them! one of the best parts is when he is sunbathing and a whole herd of animals wakes him up! The only problems with the DVD is NO Captions,NO trailers,or production notes, also where his commentary from the stars and director?
45 Magnificent filmmaking
Simply one of the best films ever made -- a touching and spiritual commune with nature featuring some of the most breathtaking scenery ever committed to film. Low-profile director Carroll Ballard has an uncanny gift for telling a story usually involving the interaction of humans and nature. It's surprising that -- given the more adult nature of this film -- Disney was behind it. It still works as a terrific family film for older children and teens. Aside from the awe-inspiring scenery, part of what makes the film so captivating is Mark Isham's brilliant and sublime music score -- it will move you to tears at times. Charles Martin Smith puts in one of his greatest performances; his narration is touching and humble. Kudos to the Inuit actors as well, who are totally convincing playing themselves without even the slightest hint of forced acting or dialogue. This is a film that will burn in your memory for life, capturing man's inexorable link with nature like few films can.
46 Please utilize captions with excellent movies.
I deeply appreciate the use of widescreen for presenting movies. A drawback in this DVD is that there are no subtitles, which some of us value greatly. This particular film, Never Cry Wolf, cries out for the kind of attention to background and details in which the Criterion Collections excel, owing to the film's depiction of a climatological strangeness to those living in more temperate climes. It is, of course, a grand trip attempting to identify with personages depicted in this film.
47 Disney's BEST non-animated feature!
When I visited amazon.com for the first time, and discovered this movie was becoming available, I ordered it so fast I left skid marks on my credit card! It's always been a special movie for me; my folks took me to see it when I graduated Navy boot camp, during its original theatrical release in 1984. And I have managed to view it from time to time on a bad copy of a "Disney Channel free weekend" (all the "to subscribe, call now" captions getting in the way of all that natural beauty) I never hesitated to recommend this movie to anyone who will listen, because it has the rare ability to appeal to virtually anyone, a movie with true universal appeal. Sadly, many people have never heard of it, and come back glowing with wonder after viewing it, even with the Disney Channel copy. I cannot think of a film director who has managed to translate to screen existing popular literature into such a moving and masterful pieces of celluloid art; one of my other favorite movies is the 1979 version of The Black Stallion (wish it were available widescreen; is any body listening? )These are what movies are supposed to be like, and I never tire of watching either of these two American masterpieces, as they grow more wonderous and comfortable at the same time.
48 Read the Book for a Better Experience
Sure, this movie had some fairly decent acting and I agree that the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. But, and this is my pet peeve... they were not loyal to Farley Mowat's book! He actually learned to love the wolves more than his fellow humans and the book had humorous nuances that were completely lost in the movie. See the movie for a beautiful picture piece but read the book for a humorous and moving experience.
49 Spiritual Film
I agree with all the previous reviews. I saw this film back in the mid 80's and it has stuck with me all this time. I just received the widescreen version and am again blown away by this film. The storyline, cinematography, and score are all superb. There is a soulful, melancholy feel to this movie that is haunting. I especially love it when he is playing soulful (or should I say spiritual) sounds on a cliff's edge with the grey skies and mist all about and the responding howls of the wolves reflecting the essential link of man and nature. Highly recommended!
50 A film that covers all the bases
A movie such as this is a rarity. The cinematography and musical scores are impeccable, but they never get in the way of the storyline and the acting. Charles Martin Smith pulls an unprecedented performance -- whose best work in the film may be his narratives that draw us in and leave us hanging on his indecision. Never Cry Wolf is a shining example of "pathos" -- one of those college literature terms we all forget.
In a world of big budget films with complicated storylines and complicated characters, Never Cry Wolf reminds us that less can be so much more when everyone leaves their Hollywood egos at the front door and commits themselves to finding the right mix of people who can put their craft ahead of their wallet.
You simply won't find a better film in the last 20 years of moviemaking. Each time you watch it, you'll find something you never noticed before. How many films can do that?
51 Buy an extra in case you wear the first one out.
This cinematography in this movie is so beautiful to watch that even if you're not the kind of person to view a film repeatedly, you probably will with this one. The score is also perfectly tuned to the story. I once had a boyfriend who would rent any movie with a Mark Isham score, and he was never wrong.
The story itself is great. A little bit different from Farley Mowat's autobigraphical book, but it keeps the important themes together. Also, the acting is very good...something about seeing a man trying to survive by eating mice is more affecting than reading about it. And the best part is, it's all portrayed in the film with humor.
52 It will give you chills
I have never seen another movie that has inspired me like this one. It has been 16 years since the first time i have seen it and i have been trying to get my hands on a copy ever since. There is nothing more powerful than seeing the true natural instincts of a human left in the middle of nowhere to learn and survive. The scenery is outstanding as well as the music. It is a perfect movie for all ages to enjoy. Educational and dramatic.
By far my favorite movie of all time.
53 Best Film of the 80's
Screw "Raging Bull." This quiet little Disney film from the mid-80's will knock your socks off. Carroll Ballard works wonders with this exquisite movie based on Farley Mowat's tales of wilderness in the Arctic. BY FAR the best of the early Disney "attempts" at more adult storytelling. And BY FAR the best score Mark Isham has ever produced. I've seen the film a dozen times, and cannot WAIT to see the quality of the Anchor Bay widescreen release. Check out the Mark Isham Score (available on Amazon.com). The only thing missing is the cool music from the mouse eating scene...sorry for the spoiler!
54 My favorite movie of all time
It doesn't get any better than this. I am a seventh grade science teacher and I rent this video and show it to my students every year. It presents important lessons about science, nature, inquiry, and the clash of cultures so often encountered in our modern world. And the kids all remember the film years later (especially the mouse eating part).
55 Ironic that this beautifully moving film can't be found...
I agree with everyone of the previous reviews. I too saw this film when I was very young, (only 11 years old) but I never forgot it. I've seen it several times since and it becomes more beautiful and important as I grow older. I've never been driven to search the web and the local movie stores for anything like I have in my frustrating search to aquire this film. Why is it I can find millions of copies of Judge Dread or The Beastmaster yet a film with such importants is allowed to virtually disappear? I've never seen scenery such as this before, or more noble truths displayed on film. Please Disney, put the mainstream insignificant eye-candy movies to rest, and allow all the people I know who have never even heard of this movie to view it's inspiring, intelligent and unforgettable story. Many of us will be waiting.
56 Another Awed Review
The story is outstanding, the cinematography awe-inspiring, like the previous reviewers, I love this. At least I have a VHS copy to watch until the DVD version comes out.
If you haven't seen this movie yet, you'll love it, it will take you down a strange path, of the sort that happens when a human being leaves our powerful civilization and enters the great unknown, and must find a niche within Mother Nature's grand creation.
57 One of the Most Underrated Movies of All Time
Where was the Academy when this film was released?? Never Cry Wolf, from it's breathtaking cinematography through it's haunting musical score, is one of the all-time classic films about the juxtaposition between modern civilization and the natural world. Visually, it's the only film I've ever seen that feels like IMAX even if you're watching it on a "19 color TV. Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Samson Jorah and the Ittimangnaqs(both of them!)act without "Acting", and the message of this film is vitally important, without trying to be "Important". Carroll Ballard is a genius of storytelling, and waiting for?? This is screaming to be released on DVD! Well, okay, it's screaming in a quiet, dignified way...
58 Saw it once- wonderful
I saw this movie once, when I was 12 years old. I heard some of the sound track again six years later on NPR and was moved to search for it, but sadly could never find it. How many movies stay in your psyche for 16 years after one veiwing? Few.
59 This movie will move your body, mind, and spirit.
I am also on a crusade to find this video. In the past I have enjoyed exposing friends and loved ones to the breathtaking cinimatography and heart squeezing music of Mark Isham. The overall message is nobel and delivered in a wrapper of understated humor. Charles Martin Smith brings into focus the ache we all feel to connect with our world and alliviate our lonliness. When will a savvy movie mogel digitally enhance and rerease this masterpiece. The next generation is waiting.
60 The only disappointment is the video is not available
I too was disappointed this video was not available. I don't buy very many videos, as it seems most are about as meaningful as yesterday's newspaper. However, this is one of the few films that transcends the celluloid to not only craft a fine story but illustrate the complexities of modern man's place in nature.
61 It's a terrible shame that it's not available
I loved this film when I saw it, years ago. I have recently been trying to locate a copy for my daughter to enjoy, but I cannot find it anywhere, not even at a rental store. It's a great film, and it ought to be re-released so that a new generation of people can enjoy it.
62 A unique and unforgettable film; Quietly humane and profound
This is so much more than just a fine "Nature" film.And It's true! This is a genuinely profound film that astonishes with it's sweep, grandeur and quiet grace, as well as the truth, clarity and warmth of it's story of personal revelation, and its somewhat troubling vision of Man's place in nature. The fact this film is unavailable in video format at this time (Fall, '99) is unconscionable! Make no mistake about it--This film is, in its own way, a true Classic. Find it if you can!!
