Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Anssi Vartiainen This movie starts a bit slow and goofy. We follow a man named Tyler (Charles Martin Smith) as he prepares for his mission to study the wolves of Northern American wilderness and at first the movie doesn't quite get the mood correctly. At times the awkwardness comes off very well and we're genuinely sorry for this poor man, who clearly has no idea what he's about to delve into. But then there are certain scenes where the illusion kind of breaks, like the scene where he starts to write his first report, in the middle of a frozen lake, during a howling windstorm. Captivating scene in its own way, but it still felt like the writer had momentarily dropped the ball, so to speak.Nevertheless, the movie quickly improves as Tyler proves to be made of tougher stuff than we initially assumed. And from thereon this is an amazing film. Hauntingly beautiful, insightful, profound, philosophical, at times educational, well-written and, above all else, soothingly hypnotic. The plot is in no hurry. The movie follows Tyler around and just sits right next to him as he studies the wolves, observing both him and the wildlife.Granted, if that was the whole movie, it would probably be a bit on the boring side, but there's a side plot about two Inuits, who Tyler befriends and from whom he learns more about the wilderness and the wolves.Still, the greatest aspect of this movie, the one that truly works, is the technical side of things, especially the mood that is created through cinematography, music and careful narration by Smith. There's dialogue between Tyler and the Inuits, but by far the greatest scenes in this movie are the silent ones, where the visuals and the music are allowed to fill your consciousness and transport you to an older era, where the laws of men have never existed. I swear that if nature ever had a soundtrack, it would prominently feature the score of this film.And that's my two cents. I highly recommend seeing this film, to everyone. It's one part nature documentary, one part adventure film and one part spiritual quest. At first it's very unassuming, but it has hidden power on its side and it needs to be experienced for one to understand its worth.

Canyoneer A masterpiece film. Seemingly simultaneous portrayal of first and third person views of one person's accidental wilderness schooling. It is far from an accurate film version of the book, but an excellent film it is. It will move you. It is the only film I have ever seen that can somehow show the feeling one gets from wilderness solace. Carroll Ballard is so good at selecting the scenes and how to tell a story. The movie is not filled with dialog which would seem to me to be an obstacle to telling a story, but Carroll Ballard uses it as a tool. An example is a scene with light bulbs on a crate and the main character in the background. The focus is on the bulbs, but the real story is the character behind them. Very well done. I do not care for "group hug" movies and usually detest a director's attempt to "teach me a lesson" about life or to try to bring about emotion. This movie will inspire but does so without a good guy/bad guy plot, hero/heroin, shock scenes, eye candy getting rescued, or even a complicated plot, etc. Great acting and directing. Just a very well made movie that doesn't have to use the typical shock value, tear jerking, "tricks of the trade" so many other filmmakers have to rely on.

wdawson-1 i DO wish movie makers would stop throwing in the odd German shepherd to pad out the wolf numbers. they stick out like the proverbial 'dog's balls'. apart from that, this is a fine movie particularly for anyone interested in Farley Mowat's adventures. the fact that it is a Disney movie i find quite encouraging - the Disney studios obviously once had no compunction about making a decent movie. scenery is marvellous, the few characters are sympathetically presented and the movie seems free of the abominably cheesy elements which typify Disney movies. though Mowat was a singularly driven person, this is not the main theme of this movie and i for one am thankful for that. well worth watching and stands the test of time well.

sam89-1 This film is not a typical Disney movie; so much so that you wonder why they did it. The simple good-evil storyline common to most Disney movies does not exist here. All characters have a different motive, and all are convinced of their own morality. What's more, they convince you. You see the issue of enviornmentalism in Alaska from all sides; and even if you may not agree with everyone, you can at least see it from their perspective. In the end however, the message is far more simple and it is tough to argue with.Another trait that immediately stands out about this movie is its striking rawness. For a good part of the film, the main character narrates, and one gets the feeling he's writing home, as opposed to telling an audience. This adds both an intimacy and a sincerity and is very effective.Though it is largely unknown (and therefore largely under-appreciated), Never Cry Wolf is a beautiful, complex and forceful. A high point for Disney -- no contest.