The Call of the Wild

While it’s supposed to compassionately showcase the universal rapport between a man and his dog, The Call of the Wild instead tells the story of a man and his green screen.

Indeed, the protagonist in this latest big-screen adaptation of the venerable Jack London novel is a computer-generated canine — driven by a motion-capture human performance — that both looks and behaves in a way that’s artificially distracting.

So while this mildly heartwarming old-fashioned adventure retains the backbone of the source material, its visual awkwardness leaves you cold.

For those unfamiliar, the story is told from the perspective of Buck, an oversized St. Bernard-Scotch Collie mix who comes into contact with various owners during the heart of the 1890s Gold Rush.

He’s too rambunctious for the aristocratic home of a judge (Bradley Whitford), so he’s shipped off to Canada, where he winds up as the beloved leader of a sled dog team for a mail carrier (Omar Sy).

Along the way, he becomes accustomed to the primitive lifestyle. “He was less attentive to his master’s commands than he was to his own instincts,” explains Yukon outdoorsman John Thornton (Harrison Ford), who narrates the tale and later forms a lasting bond with the pooch.

Before that happens, however, Buck is sold to a greedy prospector (Dan Stevens) who neglects him during a careless attempt to get rich quick, and won’t give up when Thornton steps in.

The film might hit a soft spot for dog lovers and youngsters, who can best appreciate the lighthearted hijinks and won’t be as critical of the cheesy, effects-driven action sequences.

Making his live-action debut, director Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) crafts some majestic wintry landscapes to provide a stirring backdrop. He benefits from Ford’s natural gravitas as the wise old sage with the shaggy beard, a bowler hat, and an affinity for the harmonica.

As it covers familiar territory, this wholesome, kid-friendly story of lost souls finding one another is another cinematic salute to the loyalty of man’s best friend. It’s a survival story that delivers lessons of bravery and teamwork with minimal subtlety and surprise.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that the pooches are rendered with more depth and complexity than their two-legged co-stars. Yet ultimately, this version of The Call of the Wild features more bark than bite.

Rated PG, 99 minutes.