Surviving the Wild (2018) Reviews

• Just Couldn't Buy In Here

  larrys32018-04-03

  When 13-year-old Shaun's (Aidan Cullen) grandfather Gus (Jon Voight) dies, to whom he was very close, Shaun wants to spread his ashes on "Delilah's Peak", in the Kentucky hillsides. However, his parents Rachel and Kris (Vail Bloom and Jamie Kennedy) will have none of it. Encouraged and guided by the spiritual and "physical presence" of Gus, Shaun decides to take the risky trek to "Delilah's Peak" himself, along with Gus's aging dog Riley. He'll lie to each parent, who are divorcing and living separately, that he's going away with the other. Shaun will encounter all kinds of dangers on this journey as you can imagine. Predictably, the parents will eventually figure out what has happened, and so do you think they might call the police? Let's just say that's one of a number of moronic decisions and plot elements that the viewer is asked to swallow. I thought this movie, which has some spiritual themes thrown in along the way, has its moments but it just all seems to get more preposterous as it continues. Sorry, I just couldn't buy in to all of this. At least the cinematography was gorgeous. To note, on my DVD copy obtained at Redbox, there were only Spanish subtitles, but I was able to access English subtitles through my remote closed captions.

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• A tiny bit of the magical Red River Gorge

  stanleybrad2018-12-19

  It was great to see a tiny bit of Kentucky's beauty such as the Pallisades and the Red River Gorge. I liked the movie's premise and, of course Jon Voight, but the inconsistencies were tough to overcome. The camera work and editing left a lot to desire; flopping in and out of 4K, once I think they literally dropped the camera, and some amateur drone footage. However, the Gorge is a magical place, with the highest concentration of natural arches east of Utah's Arches NP, and as a Kentuckian who's backpacked this whole area for over 30 years I hung on for the views which were great to see on the screen.

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• You Always Have Something

  lavatch2018-04-12

  "Surviving the Wild" is an adventure story with some quirky characters and humor. It doesn't have quite the thrill of Jack London's "White Fang," the novel that the young protagonist is reading during the film. The conceit of the film is that a young boy's deceased grandfather serves as his guide on his journey to scatter the grandfather's ashes in a favorite mountain site. The boy travels alone withonly his backpack and his faithful dog Riley. But the grandfather is with him in spirit. And, in the case of this film, the grandfather, as played with great gusto by Jon Voigt, is with the boy in presence as well. Some of the best moments of the film are the wise sayings of the wise guy grandfather. While some of his jokes fall flat, his advice is rich in wisdom. He counsels the boy to remember the "Rule of Threes"--3 minutes without air; 3 hours without regulated body temp; 3 days without water; 3 weeks without food. The boy loses his backpack in the fierce river rapids and is briefly unconscious. No problem. There is always the "Rule of Three" as a guide to survival. The journey of the boy is filled with almost every conceivable occurrence, including the lost backpack, a near attack from a bear, and the appearance of two scary backwoods guys who act like characters from out of "Deliverance." Again, no problem! One of the sage sayings of Gramps: "When you run into a problem, look up!" In so doing, the grandson recognizes that there is always something bigger. After all, "problems are like clouds in the sky; here in the moment, then gone in the next." The treatment of the boy's parents was also thoughtful. While they were in the middle of a divorce, it was clear that both the mother and father truly loved their son. Another one of the sayings of the grandfather was, "real fear is not living the right way." By the end of the film, the parents seem to have learned something from that one. The film was more than a story of survival. Again, the grandfather sums up best the overarching theme: "You always have something."

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• Not So Wild

  rutzelb2018-04-04

  Young Shaun (Aidan Cullen) with Riley his dog, lies and steals his deceased grandfather Gus' (John Voight) Urn- from his mother to spread ashes on a remote mountain. We see Gus almost every step of the way and only Shaun can see and hear him. This seems to be a made-for-tv movie. It's okay, but I didn't have any feeling for Shaun or for Riley either and that should have happened. John Voight was okay as the deceased Gus with his words of wisdom and encouragement to Shaun from time to time. The trip to the mountain and what Shaun encounters during the journey was kind of tame to be honest, and oh, yes, two men in the woods and we are not sure what that was all about. No, no Deliverance but those scenes did come to mind. Hey, this is a family movie, but who or what were these two men is a mystery that was never explained. Later the almost-divorced parents learn they had been duped by Shaun and go looking for him on that remote mountain. No real suspense or tension within this movie. Like I said: a made for tv movie, a walk in the park. Tame. Notables: Jamie Kennedy as Kristopher, Shaun's father; Vail Bloom as Rachel, Shaun's mother; Derick Van Orden as Jebediah one of the men in the woods; and Matthew Davis as Eartle as one of the men in the woods. The cinematography should have been better than it was. There were too many shots too up close to the fauna and not enough long shots of the scenery except for maybe one shot. There was a nice pastel sunset though. A note of caution: Most everyone knows, by now, to never spread cremation ashes and to secure the URN in a safe place. At the end, would it surprise you to know that Rachel says she thinks she did see Gus too? Hmmmm................ (5/10) Violence:: Yes, but not much. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: Much between Gus and Shaun. Language: Brief small stuff. Rating: C

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• Nice coming of age story set in beautiful scenery

  joelleet-662492018-02-25

  Surviving the Wild (previously known as "Riley's Peak") is essentially a coming of age story. There is humor and emotion, as well as a little bit of language. It's a good movie for families with adolescent children. It's a low budget movie but the cinematography is spectacular, showcasing terrific views around Kentucky. It was great seeing some of my favorite outdoor places utilized in the movie. Some locations I recognized were Natural Bridge and Cumberland Falls State Parks, the Kentucky River Palisades and the majestic Red River Gorge Geological Area. The state of Kentucky is prominent in the movie and there is even a brief appearance by Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. I was excited when I heard about the filming of this movie. I'm a fan of previous roles of Jon Voight and Jamie Kennedy, and I heard that Mr. Voight was very kind to people while in the area for filming. You should give "Surviving the Wild" a watch!

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