"Never Cry Wolf" is a good reason why I like the movies. Human characters, compelling story, warm humor and breathtaking scenery (with the Atlin area in Northwestern British Columbia filling in for Alaska) combine to make it a favorite of mine.

"Tour de Force" doesn't seem quite the right turn of phrase for Charles Martin Smith's performance as the scientist Tyler for such a low-key character but he is the heart of the movie. It's especially noticeable when I associate Mr. Smith as Toad in "American Graffiti". His scene with the wolves and caribou is amazing and primal.

Samson Jorah is marvelous as the Inuit Mike ("He says, 'Great idea!'")

What a treat it is to watch compared to all the noise and quick-cut editing that dominate modern movies.

Charles Martin Smith is a fine actor, though he's usually thought of as a supporting player--such as his roles in "The Untouchables" and "American Graffiti". Here, however, he is not only the leading man but one of the ONLY people in the film. Clearly, it rests on him and his ability to carry his role--and he's more than up to the part and gives it his all...seriously!

The film begins with an ill-prepared biologist heading to the middle of nowhere in Alaska. Why the middle of nowhere? Because--he wants to observe wolves in the wild. So, he takes an INSANE airplane flight into the wilderness and it's freezing cold--and you assume he'll just succumb to the elements. However, with a bit of help but an Inuit native, he's able to survive despite his lack of training. And, over time, he learns to respect the animals and care about them. In the meantime, there are lots of scenes that you'd think would be boring, but Smith and the film makers are able to make the audience care about him and these beautiful animals. My only reservation is about the ending. Obviously his character is supposed to 'go native'--but seeing him running around naked with the wolves was just plain weird--and something your mother-in-law would probably not appreciate as she watches this with you! While none of the nudity was gratuitous, it is interesting that a Disney film would show this much skin--and that he'd be doing this in Alaska! Still, it's well worth seeing and a fascinating tour de force by Smith.

The caribou herds are in trouble and the government sends scientist Tyler (Charles Martin Smith) to the Canadian north to investigate the damage that the wolves are supposedly doing. He arrives at the end of the rail line in Nootsack and Rosie (Brian Dennehy) flies him out to the frozen north. He is alone with a few human contact like Ootek the Inuit. He is surprised to find the wolves but not the caribou. He soon discovers that the wolves are eating mice and are not the ruthless killing machines of the imagination. This is an adaptation of Farley Mowat's 1963 autobiography. This is a wonderful meditative movie of a man in the wilderness. It teaches a few things about wolves and the north. Smith's constant narration gives a hypnotic feel to the simple performance. It doesn't play up the survival aspect which these movies tend to be. I also love that Ootek keeps saying that Tyler has "Good Idea". Ootek and his friend Mike are fascinating characters. It's also great that they are fully flesh-out human beings rather than the noble all-knowing savages. Mike is funny and a complex character. They give Tyler the notion that the wolves are a part of an ecosystem and the caribou rely as much on the wolves as the wolves rely on the caribou. There are a lot of nature shots but none is more impressive than a naked Charles Martin Smith in the middle of a caribou stampede.