I selected to watch this movie because I grew up in the 70's and the idea of living in the wilderness was something that seemed very wonderful to me. As I have aged and learned much, I know it isn't rainbows and sunshine.
But, this movie tries to make it so. I'll give it a break because it was made in the 70's but looking at it from the 2024's it is a mess. The only real hero in the movie is the dog, and that is fer dern sure!
* I should have known it would be about two idiots with children when one of the first scenes in they are driving down the highway in L. A. and the two kids and the dog are riding in the back of the truck. Sure we all did that when we lived in yokel town in the day, but in L. A. in the 1970's...really?
* You don't go picking raspberries in the complete wilderness during the fall - cause the bears are around. And WTF, with no protection. La la la, everything is so happy and joyful.
*Then the little girl runs from the grizzly (and outruns it, ya right). She hides in a cove in the river and the grizzly doesn't rip the heck out of the hiding place and meanwhile mom pokes it with a big log. That will help.
*Little girl sees her dog fighting a bear so follows it and gets lost in the woods. Because, its ok to let the kids wander around in the wilderness with no supervision. Oh darn, now the dog has to fight off this bear and she follows the dog. Gets lost. Dad finds out and tries to find her. Then horrible, mean wolves chase her down to the lake but don't attack her. Dad happens into the area, shoots off the gun and they run. Whew, another day of tough stuff!
* The little kids are out wandering around loving the beautiful flowers and see such cute cougar kittens. Well, they leave but the cute little babies followed them. Dad is pissed. "You shouldn't let them follow you." Like, how were they going to stop them? So he takes them back and brings his daughter to show him where they came from. Then mama cougar is pissed and attacks him but the good dog distracts the cougar and she runs off. Dad is scratched in his arm (its only a "flesh wound" ha ha). You kids have learned a lesson he tells them. His wife is pissed and he says, I can't talk to you. I need to take a walk. Cause she should have listened to him when he said it wouldn't happen again. Sure, they learned a lesson but did the parents? Nope.
* Dad takes the canoe down the river to get to town to get a daughter for poor ailing daughter and ends up wrecking but in the rapids he fortunately swims to shore and I guess, still makes it all the way to town. Get the doc and they fly back in to check the girl. Weirdly, I believe it is the same doctor she saw in L. A. But she is going to be ok. They think about flying out the next day but gosh, they all want to stay. What will happen next?
Well, I've told the story backward. But you get my point, I think. They show it as a danger, that big ole' wilderness, but dern they are sure lucky. Fools luck apparently.
But, this movie tries to make it so. I'll give it a break because it was made in the 70's but looking at it from the 2024's it is a mess. The only real hero in the movie is the dog, and that is fer dern sure!
* I should have known it would be about two idiots with children when one of the first scenes in they are driving down the highway in L. A. and the two kids and the dog are riding in the back of the truck. Sure we all did that when we lived in yokel town in the day, but in L. A. in the 1970's...really?
* You don't go picking raspberries in the complete wilderness during the fall - cause the bears are around. And WTF, with no protection. La la la, everything is so happy and joyful.
*Then the little girl runs from the grizzly (and outruns it, ya right). She hides in a cove in the river and the grizzly doesn't rip the heck out of the hiding place and meanwhile mom pokes it with a big log. That will help.
*Little girl sees her dog fighting a bear so follows it and gets lost in the woods. Because, its ok to let the kids wander around in the wilderness with no supervision. Oh darn, now the dog has to fight off this bear and she follows the dog. Gets lost. Dad finds out and tries to find her. Then horrible, mean wolves chase her down to the lake but don't attack her. Dad happens into the area, shoots off the gun and they run. Whew, another day of tough stuff!
* The little kids are out wandering around loving the beautiful flowers and see such cute cougar kittens. Well, they leave but the cute little babies followed them. Dad is pissed. "You shouldn't let them follow you." Like, how were they going to stop them? So he takes them back and brings his daughter to show him where they came from. Then mama cougar is pissed and attacks him but the good dog distracts the cougar and she runs off. Dad is scratched in his arm (its only a "flesh wound" ha ha). You kids have learned a lesson he tells them. His wife is pissed and he says, I can't talk to you. I need to take a walk. Cause she should have listened to him when he said it wouldn't happen again. Sure, they learned a lesson but did the parents? Nope.
* Dad takes the canoe down the river to get to town to get a daughter for poor ailing daughter and ends up wrecking but in the rapids he fortunately swims to shore and I guess, still makes it all the way to town. Get the doc and they fly back in to check the girl. Weirdly, I believe it is the same doctor she saw in L. A. But she is going to be ok. They think about flying out the next day but gosh, they all want to stay. What will happen next?
Well, I've told the story backward. But you get my point, I think. They show it as a danger, that big ole' wilderness, but dern they are sure lucky. Fools luck apparently.