Harrison Ford makes for quite a decent, hardy, pioneer in this rather engaging tale of a dog and master relationship. "Buck" is pinched from his comfortable life in warm and cosy California, taken north to Alaska (without John Wayne) and sold as a sled dog. Initially on the postal run life becomes one hell of a shock to his system; hard work, meagre meals - but he soon settles down and becomes a beast of great resilience and value. When the postal service is scaled back, his position becomes precarious, he briefly falls into the hands of the nasty, unlikely cast Dan Stevens ("Hal") before a massive feat of strength and endurance finds him his new owner, the rugged loner "Thornton" (Ford) who takes him deep into the lonely wilderness where adventures (and romance) lurk... It's a good story, this. Jack London's original imagination is well captured and the Canadian Yukon makes for a perfect substitute as the cold and harshness of their environment is brought home to us. Stevens is not particularly menacing as their gold-pursuing nemesis, however, but Ford is effective and makes for quite a convincing old curmudgeon. It's for a family audience, so much of the grittiness is left out but I still quite enjoyed it.
