A Wolf and His Boy

Written by Davis Clark, Reporter

Kodi Smit-McPhee has had an interesting career so far, and his latest work proves he can handle the focus as a leading role, at least to a degree. Without much dialogue and with a little spoken in another language, he goes through this film with a convincing take as Keda, a young man determined to prove himself to his father in Europe.

Left behind and presumed dead, Keda befriends a wolf. And slowly but surely, the pair make their way back home, encountering various beasts and climate changes along the way. Wisely made only an hour and a half long, the story is not meant to be groundbreaking. Rather, it is a simple, well-told tale of man and beast working together. Visually, it’s often spectacular, but there’s a sort of smugness running through it. Director Albert Hughes shows a new breathtaking skyline every few minutes to the point that it seems repetitive. Silly complaint, I know. Perhaps this time, I wasn’t looking for too much of a good thing.

Of course, there are obvious things to accept with films like this. Wardrobe and set pieces serve their purposes and nothing more, with accuracy not serving as the main goal. I’m not an expert, but shortcuts were obviously taken. It’s still a more moving story than “20,000 B.C..”

So, overall verdict? It’s entertaining, and a few moments of terrifying imagery make this an exceptional film.

Note: Yes, I’m aware of the controversy from PETA’s accusation against the animal wrangler for this film. I’ll be waiting for more information to determine whether I should feel guilty for viewing it.

For more movie reviews, follow Davis on Letterboxd @dwoodwardy.