John Jefferis

Scooby Doo of the Wild. Much of what was beautiful about the book’s stark contrast of the brutality of nature vs the civilization of men has been lost by white-washing the story to accommodate perceived modern tastes. Curly isn’t killed by Sol leks, Thornton isn’t killed by Indians, Buck doesn’t kill the Indians, and the Frenchmen are transformed from harsh but fair (which reflect the realities of the North) to sappy and comical. The last straw was the anthropomorphic depiction of Buck; I kept waiting for him to say “Rutt Roh Rohn Rhornton.” Too bad. Harrison Ford was good, but wasted in this effort which could have been so much better.