White Fang (2018)

This French-produced animation has more modest ratings than I usually go for, but it seemed my best bet for getting acquainted with another Jack London classic. The 1991 adaptation isn't as popular, and I wasn't likely to make time for the book. If nothing else, the Netflix cover image promised a cute puppy.

The pup lives in the 1890s Alaskan wild with his stray wolf-dog mother, until desperation drives her back to her owner, Grey Beaver (Eddie Spears), from an unspecified tribe. GB dubs the pup White Fang and raises him to lead a sled team. When the tribe's land is set to be sold out from under them because of the Klondike Gold Rush, GB sees little choice but to sell now-adult WF to shady Beauty Smith (Paul Giamatti), who makes a lot of money in dog fighting. Marshal Wheedon Scott (Nick Offerman) puts an end to that, and he and his wife (Rashida Jones), despite their fear, do right by WF. But Beauty and his thuggish comrades (Armando Riesco and Dave Boat) aren't finished with Wheedon or WF....

I'm afraid that's almost a full synopsis -- pretty vacant even for 85 minutes, which may explain why I kept pausing. A little research tells me that things have indeed been simplified a bit from the book, as well as bowdlerized at many points, partly for family friendliness (maybe ages 8 and up) and partly to make certain characters more redeemable in our eyes. I'm not sure whether London gave any indication of racial animosity between Indians and White settlers or that detail was added for a modern sentiment.

Netflix delivers on its aforementioned promise, and WF is still cute when not threatening anyone. It helps that he's more trainable than you might expect from someone apparently three-fourths wolf. Unfortunately, not all the character designs are satisfying, and the CG is pretty stilted by today's standards. In general, it does better when focusing on the nonhuman animals.

The movie itself isn't a classic, but I didn't mind watching. What it lacks in literary educational value, it may make up for in broad sentimental appeal.