Against the Wild (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews

Natasha Henstridge is very good in the film

[prprincess90 · 6/10 · 13 August 2013]

Written and Directed by Richard Boddington, "Against The Wild," is a story about two young children and their Alaskan Husky who have to survive in the wilderness following a plane crash.

The film itself, which screened at the recent FLICKERS RIFF, is okay, but I really enjoyed the performance of Natasha Henstridge, playing the distraught mother of the children. She is at a higher level than many of the other actors, but this is a reason to see this film.

It is both interesting and still family-friendly film worth seeing. In addition to Henstridge, there are some great shots of the wild-life in the film, and the animals are almost characters in this film.

Against The Wild is not for everybody, but it will fit a certain audience. And, if you like animal-driven children's films OR Natasha Henstridge, you already have a reason to see this film.

not bad but not that good either

[matskiuk · 4/10 · 13 May 2014]

kids might like it, its an OK waste of an hour and so on acting not that good, from the lead actress, script could of been better, for example, when the see plane lands, they young lad says "i think the plane is here", really? when the plane crashes, )i wont say that as a spoiler as it so obvious that's how it all starts off), the kids are hardly scratched, the young lass asks her brother, have you got your phone?, he gets it out of his pocket, "broken he says", wow weak phone!

but the most laughable part is just before the plane crashes, the person in charge of doing the background window shots (obviously not in a real flying plane), just watch the direction of the trees, each shot of the kids the outside view looks like they are flying sideways sometimes right sometimes left, and one of the last shots, from the lads view is the plane is appearing to be going backwards!!

i would say this as a Sunday afternoon family film where kids might get bored whilst the parents doze on the sofa.

Could Have Been Rated G

[byson5186 · 6/10 · 4 August 2014]

I saw this film on demand. It was an OK film, I'd agree that it wasn't bad, but not that good either and a film maybe worth seeing once, especially if you're going camping or going out in the middle of nowhere, because this film will make you feel like you're in those areas. The film is somewhat enjoyable, but it won't be your favorite movie and it is definitely an appropriate family film you could watch. It could have and should have been rated G as there was nothing really PG about this film except maybe blood in the plane crash. It didn't have any curse words in the movie, and despite the kids being out two days in the middle of nowhere, there is not one mention of them having to pee in the woods which we frequently think about if we're camping or in the middle of nowhere. The kids also appeared pretty clean in 2 days in the same clothes. Their hair was always straight and they weren't that dirty, when anybody who's been camping knows how dirty you get. There also wasn't much action, the action scenes they have weren't that big or long. Also, there could have and should have been a better conclusion because the conclusion seemed all of a sudden with little explanation. However, this movie was somewhat enjoyable, again getting a setting in the wilderness. The kids in the movie were likable characters. The characters Zach and Hannah are brother and sister and they get along for the most part and are especially protective of each other in the wilderness. It seems like it's Hannah that picks more of the fight than Zach when they argue. Zach seems more laid back and his scout techniques put him to good use. So, yeah you could watch this movie if you want an easy family friendly adventure film.

Why?

[alassnsane · 1/10 · 18 September 2015]

I agree with everything PrarieCal had to say. What a colossal waste of time and effort. Never before have I witnessed a movie more heavily weighted down with clichés. However, I will, generously mind you, award it one star for the scenery.

As horrible as this movie is my biggest gripe doesn't even stem from how bad of a film it is, it stems from how bad the information about the wilderness and wilderness survival is. If indeed the boy truly was a former Cub Scout he should be stripped of any related badges because he did Nothing right that had to do with the most rudimentary of survival skills.

There was just so much wrong with this movie...but I will limit myself to three examples which ought to give you a pretty good idea of the degree of thought that went into this flick...

1. My favorite moment of the film....the parents are waiting at search and rescue's command central for any word of their kids who have been missing in the wilderness for days...the father bursts into the mothers tent and spouts "Great news hunny!!!" with a massive smile on his face...."Charlie is going to be okay!"...Charlie being the pilot who had crashed the plane stranding the children but who was no longer with them and, weirdly, who had already been found and who they already pretty much knew was going to be okay. Any normal mother would have first punched him in the nose then burst into tears.

2. The kids have matches. Having seen the search and rescue helicopters they know people are looking for them and despite being surrounded by woods and supposedly possessing the training to know how to gut a fish and create a travois never think to light a single signal fire....okay.

3. My third example is possibly the only reason I would recommend anyone check out a moment of this film because you will be treated to, yet another clichéd moment, that features the most obese raccoon I've ever seen, quite possibly weighing 4x what a wild raccoon could ever hope to attain...sadly, I am serious, the poor critter could barely move, same goes for the prerequisite grizzly....But, simply put and to be brutally honest? There is no reason good enough for anyone to watch this movie, not even a 3 year old.

Better Family Movies Out There

[scottkissinger · 2/10 · 25 January 2015]

This is a low-budget film, supposedly $2M Canadian, but I'm not sure where they spent the money. Writing is not good, cinematography is not good, editing is horrible, acting is bad. If you watch it with your 6-9 year old, then it's probably okay. Older kids than this will laugh at the movie (adults will too). This particular director and writer specializes in these family films with pet dogs. Good clean family movie though. But, I'd say spend your money elsewhere. Dialogue is very abrupt and awkward in many parts. The film has a decent beginning and middle, but ending happens very suddenly and is very contrived. If your kids like animals, then they will probably like this film - aside from the dog, there is a bear, raccoon, wolves and salmon!

Dumb kids do dumb things

[TRRosen · 2/10 · 25 October 2015]

A very bad and very formulaic film. May entertain very small kids and adults in comas but that's about it. Very standard dad works to much, family is strained, kids feel abandoned, kids get in trouble, family fights, family comes together flick set in the wilderness. To avoid spoilers ( not that there are any surprises in this film ) I'll just say that the kids seem to do everything wrong in this movie while the adults take incredibly unrealistic actions. Adding to this are the standard convenient plot complications; phone doesn't work, sprained ankle, etc. Acting is standard made for TV quality with fairly poor cinematography. The efforts to hide the unrealistic portions of the plot are more obvious then the plot defects they are covering. Avoid unless treating insomnia.

Against the wild

[startrekfan72 · 1/10 · 24 January 2015]

Very predictable in every way the plot was a dead give away. The cinematography was lacking in every way. the way they used the radio was lacking in radio procedure IE the lack of call sign or unit number. also the seen where the bear was after them and all it took was one bite from the dog to scare that 200 pound bear way, totally UN believable. the dialog was very weak and had no depth to it the acting was sub par at best this movie is a good waste of time for an hour but that is all it is worth, I have never been so disappointed in a movie in my life this film earned a 0 out of ten Stars . a total looser and a waste of time I would say don,t waste your time with this film. leave it on the shelf and walk away.

SHUT UP ZACH

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 23 October 2018]

Dad (Ted Whittall) works at a remote mine. Family doesn't see him that often. Mom (Natasha Henstridge) and dad are separated. Kids fly up in plane to visit dad. CG planes catches fire and crashes with token black guy pilot (Rainbow Francks) injured and unconscious. Kids with random blood marks and uninjured dog go for help. Zach (CJ Adams) uses his Cub Scout survivor skills to save his sister Hannah (Erin Pitt) as they do some sibling bonding.

One would think they would conduct an air search which would easily locate the plane along its 2 hour flight path or at least see the smoke from all the campfires the kids start. The film was boring. Kids discuss if their fighting is causing their parents to split up while wolves circle round. (A dog is no match for a wolf.) The film was overly formulaic. It has a made for TV feel and sound track. Very lame for adults.

Might work for the younger crowd.

Not bad. Stop being so critical and just enjoy the movie.

[tonysarrio · 6/10 · 26 October 2015]

I found myself watching this movie when Natasha's name came up in the opening credits. I started watching the movie pretty much knowing how it was going too play out, and gave into consideration that there were young actors in this movie. I know the plot was predictable. I have an open mind and do not dwell on every little thing, so I just watched the whole movie. One reviewer talked about all the cliché's and how they kept fast forwarding. I hope my attention span never becomes that short. Any way, I watched the movie for what it was, and actually enjoyed it. It's a fun movie for the whole family. Any movie with kids finding their way through the wilderness, two loving parents finding their way through a tough time, bears, wolves and a faithful family dog that saves the day is OK with me!!

Scenery was pretty, everything else, yikes!

[skaterinasch · 2/10 · 10 November 2018]

What an awful movie. The script is horrible, acting is worse. People's reactions are so far removed from reality. Awkward, pointless scenes throughout. Constant incongruencies. I was especially offended that for most of the movie they made the girl appear dumb, then roles reversed and both kids were about equally dumb. My 2 y/o enjoyed it until even he gave up. My 10 & 12 laughed at the stupidity though they were reacting more to the adults criticism.

Great Movie!

[johnroberts-3 · 9/10 · 24 March 2021]

Really enjoyed by our family! Terrific acting from the cast and the animals were wonderful to watch. Incredible scenery!

Low budget, low quality adventure story with cute kids and a dog.

[TxMike · 11 March 2017]

We watched this at home on DVD from our public library. The good thing is the 'PG' rating, it is refreshing to watch something without bad language, sexual situations, or violence.

The less good thing is the scriptwriter/director isn't very good. The dialog is often very cheesy and some of it seems out of place for the situation. The two kids, about 11 or 12, are OK playing brother and sister, but they are just adequate actors.

The gist of the story is simple, two kids are going to visit their dad who works in the Canadian wilderness, bringing along backpacks and hiking shoes for a fun weekend. But the company's small seaplane develops engine trouble and they crash land in the forest, not too far from water. The pilot is badly injured, the two kids and their dog set out to find help.

Meanwhile emergency services begin a search for the downed plane as the parents show up at the planning site. But the kids are off to find help and, with the help of the dog fight off wolves and a bear.

CJ Adams is the son, Zach Wade. His sister is played by Erin Pitt as Hannah Wade, looking like a dead ringer for a very young Hayden Panettiere. The only veteran I recognized was Natasha Henstridge as the mom, Susan Wade, and she emoted properly but the script didn't give her much to work with.

OK, so it isn't a high quality movie but it is cute, like an extended family TV episode of some sort. It is entertaining if you are in the mood for this kind of movie.

What's the message here?

[mjjmolina · 6/10 · 8 March 2024]

The principal actors did a very good job bringing the story to life. Some of the secondary actors were a little flat. While the story itself was cliché' it at least did not fail to entertain and bring some surface level tension to the dangers faced by the kids. And the scenery of the on-site locations was nothing short of breathtaking.

My only real issue with the movie was the subplot of the wife and children resenting the father for working so much. They live in an enormous lakeside home and have access to company planes to ferry them around. Each child has their own room. The son was even a cub scout (which also costs money). This all means that they have a privileged lifestyle afforded to them by working parents. While the mother seems to have a job where she can work from home, the father has a demanding time consuming job and he is lambasted by spouse and offspring alike for being enthusiastic about providing for his family and daring to enjoy it as well.

The modern theme of the day is that a man's value begins and ends with his paycheck. Yet here the father is chastised for being a provider. Is that the message we should be sharing?

There was another subplot about how the father's company was cheap and did not properly maintain their equipment and how the head boss was callous about the father's need to be with his children. Nothing ever comes of this subplot.

There are also some reviewers blaming the pilot for "crashing" the plane and "stranding" the children. They obviously do not realize that despite it being mentioned numerous times throughout the film that the plane was faulty, it was only the pilot's cool head and skill that kept the plane crash from being a devastating. If he were less skilled the plane would have suffered more damage and the occupants would have more injured, perhaps even fatally so. The pilot himself was knocked unconscious and broke both his legs. Had he been awake he probably would have urged the children not to leave the crash site, but then the movie would not have happened. It is also evident by the fact that practically everyone in the movie from the parents of the children and the S&R team knowing this pilot by his first name that he is a likeable and respected person.

As mentioned previously though, my only real issue with the movie was the divorce subplot. Other than that the movie was typical and cliché but entertaining and 100% family safe. As far as family dramas go, you can't really be wrong with this selection.

Awful movie

[rasangab · 1/10 · 5 January 2018]

We watched this movie because it seemed ok from the trailer. We were hoping to see an interesting plot, some intense action and some survival skills in it. But we got nothing. A complete waste of time and money. The acting was so, so bad!!! I do not remember having seen such a stupid dialogue in another movie. Nothing believable, cliché over cliché... A good movie on a similar subject that we saw and liked is Far from Home: The Adventures of a Yellow Dog (1995)

Awful

[tonycollums · 3/10 · 17 May 2020]

Just not good or believable. Drinking lake water? Fighting wolves off with a baseball? Chinook the friendliest dog to ever defend against wolves. Rescue team wearing $ 10.00 binoculars. Not worth watching even with Natasha Henstridge in it.

Unbelievably cheesy

[latinfineart · 3/10 · 3 April 2021]

They have an expression in Mexico called super Velveeta. It means that it is pure Cheese. This just had nothing in the way of good writing, very mediocre acting and the script was just like a cheesecake. It was just really poorly done. Save your time, really I tried to enjoy this just for the hell of it but. But it was tough.

Did they really drink the lake water????!!! Head shake....

[sheldonlinda · 4/10 · 24 March 2021]

Did they really leave the airplane? Did they really drink lake water? Oh yeah and fighting off wolves.

Family flicks are good bec. they are family flicks no matter how bad, but really folks.

Oh and the acting...

Kids don't drink lake water without boiling it first!!!!

Awful!

[thewildflowerstudio · 1/10 · 12 February 2021]

This movie is the worst. As a child movie I would have expected more realistic emergency situations. Through the entire movie I felt like I had to give my 7 year old a lecture on how unrealistic this situation was. Don't leave the plane! Why would make a movie that goes against normal survival instincts! Dumb!