White Fang is a 2018 animated family film about a wolfdog’s adventures while serving under three very different masters.
I remember when I was a kid and read White Fang for the first time, already hooked on author Jack London‘s highly visual narrative style – made so approachable for young book enthusiasts – feeling a great connection with the titular wolf. Something about its fight, I guess. Either way, its been made into a number of films since its publication, with Randal Kleiser‘s 1993 live-action adaptation starring Ethan Hawke perhaps best known. Now comes Alexandre Espigares‘ colorful CGI animated effort, a wonderfully imagined film that leans towards more younger audiences (though not without some hard knocks), excising lots of the original story yet delivering a poignant, often affecting tale of life in the Yukon from the eyes of a wolf.
Set in the 1890s during the famed gold rush, winter proves a hard time to be alive for young wolf pup White Fang, who’s mother Kiche is lame from an attack by a hungry lynx. Knowing she won’t survive without help, she returns to the Native American camp where she was once a sled dog for trapper Grey Beaver (Eddie Spears). Taken in, White Fang soon takes his place among the other dogs, eventually earning the top spot, renowned for his strength and spirit. Unfortunately, he gains the attention of Beauty Smith (Paul Giamatti), a malicious dog-fighter who schemes his way into ownership of White Fang, training him to be a champion in the pit, though the wolf never quite has the heart for it, eventually coming upon lawman Weedon Scott (Nick Offerman), a kind man whom the the animal encountered years before.
One of the best things about London’s books are how richly descriptive he paints the landscapes, the environments as much a character as those whom live within it. So it is with Espigares’ film, the realistic snowy forests and icy rock peaks drenched in sun-soaked skies making nearly every frame of the film genuinely breath-taking. His people and animals though are much more reminiscent of recent TellTale Games episodic adventure games‘ characters, sort of boxy and exaggerated, looking like detailed watercolor painting sprung to life. It’s a solid fit. This is a good looking movie.
It’s also purposefully adapted, toned down considerably from London’s more heavy story, with much of the brutality and violence kept off screen or implied, making this mostly safe for youngsters. Naturally, it’s the people who are much more savage, with Giamatti’s Smith a cruel and heartless little slug who plots to his own benefit. Meanwhile, Offerman does equally good work as his opposite, with Rashida Jones and Spears offering some heart and impact.
Purists are naturally going to find plenty to pick at, with screenwriters Serge Frydman, Philippe Lioret, and Monique Monfrey turning in a softened rather condensed script, but whatever cuts have been been (with some notable book character’s completely removed from the film), Espigares’ energetic and well-balanced storytelling prowess gives this more than enough momentum to keep its target viewers interested. Beautifully-realized and sentimentally delivered, this is entertaining enough for old fans of the story while easily accessible for beginners who might never have heard of the classic. An easy family movie recommendation, currently streaming on Netflix.