The Incredible Journey (1963)
I’m going to make The Incredible Journey seem more exciting then
it really is. It’s not a bad movie. It is well shot, and the acting is fine,
especially by its 3 animal leads. It starts Bodger, the Old Bull Terrier, Tao,
the Siamese Cat and Luath, the young Labrador Retriever. The cat also had the lead
role in ‘That Darn Cat’ (1965) with Dean Jones and Hayley Milles. The premise
of the story is interesting, but the movie itself is…
just a little bit .… It is well suited for a young audience who
likes animals.
The pets are owned by the Hunter family. Mom, Dad, Peter and
Elizabeth. When the dad gets a visiting fellowship at Oxford University in
England, he packs up the family and brings them with him. The pets are to stay
with family friend John Longridge at his house in Northwestern Ontario. Although
John is not part of the Hunter family, he decides to go on a Duck Hunting trip
despite the fact that it is wabbit season and leaves the animals in the care of
his housekeeper Mrs. Oakes and her husband Bert. He leaves a note but the
Siamese if you please cat knocks it into the fireplace burning the part of the
letter telling Mrs. Oakes what to do and where he has gone.
The kids and the parents are gone. John is Gone. It is all quiet
on the Canadian front. Some Geese migrating west fly overhead. The lab then decides ‘Yup. Were forgotten. We
got to go home.” Seeing they are all the best of friends the old timer and the
puddy tat decided to go where ever he goes and so they set out on the 200 mile Incredible
Journey.
Along the way they meet several creatures and humans including two
affectionate bear cubs and their angry mom, two children, a girl like Elizabeth
and a boy like Peter (with a gun), The Dr. Doolittle like Jeremy the Hermit and
his pet crow who likes to perch on top of his head. They also meet a hungry
Lynx, A hunter and his wife and a porcupine.
They get swept up in a river while trying to cross it and get shot at
for raiding a cooks garbage can. As they travel they try to stay under the
raider so they are not detected. Of course, we wouldn’t know have the story if
it wasn’t for the Disney Narrator superstar Rex Allen.
Does the Trio make it home? Do they see their loving family again?
The fact that it was nominated by the American Film Institute’s film list 100
Years...100 Cheers in 2006 may give you a clue. The display of friendship
between the animals is definitely a highlight of the film. If only Cats and
Dogs could get along together in real life.
The movie was based on the book The Incredible Journey (1961) by
Sheila Burnford. It was remade as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
and even had a sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996). More on
these films in their own separate reviews.
Again, not a bad film and worth watching for a Disney enthusiast. Just
more of a Pretty OK journey and not Incredible.
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