Anthony's Film Review - Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

A heartwarming, exciting adventure with three animals taking center stage...

When it comes to movies, sometimes less is more. You don't always need the biggest special effects, most popular stars, or the most exotic locations to make an entertaining movie. You just need a story. Also, sometimes different is more. It's also important to have a story that has never been told or has not been told all that often. For example, how about a story of three talking animals getting lost in the wilderness?

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a remake of a 1963 Disney movie called The Incredible Journey, which is in turn based on the novel of the same name. I hadn't expected too much before seeing Homeward Bound, but now I can say it's a good one. There's nothing to say about the plot other than its one-line premise: three pets get separated from their owners and find their way home while facing dangers in the wild. So why is it good? Two things: the characters and the cinematography.

The animal trio in Homeward Bound are two dogs and a cat. Don Ameche provides the voice of a dog named Shadow. Michael J. Fox is the voice of a dog named Chance. And Sally Field delivers the voice of the cat, Sassy. Interestingly enough, each of these characters has a distinct personality. For example, Shadow sounds like an aging old dog (obviously because the actor was in his 80s at the time) while Chance seems simultaneously brave and fearful. The movie benefits by having characters you can care about.

There are plenty of good scenes in this movie. The three animals face many things, including wild animals and a raging river. I'm amazed that such situations could be captured on film, let alone be simulated with the help of a film crew. I would also like to add that the cinematography is beautiful. If you like to see shots of nature, there's some of that here as well. Not that it's supposed to be a nature documentary, but you get the idea.

There aren't really any surprises with Homeward Bound. The story is a straightforward one. At least the movie captures the excitement of an adventure and touching moments involving friendship and sticking together. Also, it's a decent live-action movie from Disney. I usually don't have as high of an expectation for a live-action Disney movie as for a Disney animated movie, so I was rather taken by this movie. Overall, Homeward Bound may not be the most incredible journey, but it sure is a fun one nonetheless.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, visit the Internet Movie Database.