Fresh and Exciting

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

As a young child, I watched this movie many times over, enjoying the silly humor of the three animals and being completely sucked in by the sappy message. Many years later, I again sat down to watch it with my younger sister...and again found myself transported back to my childhood, even to the point of brushing back tears at the final touching scene.It is very obvious why this film was bound to be a hit with children: Almost all children love animals, the humor is at a level that even young ones can laugh at, and the three protagonists are ones that all children can identify with: the aged Golden Retriever Shadow, the frisky pup Chance, and the sharp-tongued and witty cat Sassy.Surprisingly, however, the film will also both touch and entertain viewers who have graduated elementary school. The "characters" aren't too cheesy to make you roll your eyes, the plot isn't so animal-rights leaning (like Free Willy, for example) that it will make your stomach turn, and I think that the simple love between a child and his/her pet is something that we can still relate to long after we've "grown up". If you are not dabbing at your eyes (or at least seeing through some mist) as the end credits roll, then the fault may just lie within your cynical self.So, I would highly recommend this movie for family viewing of any and all kinds. For your child it will be a wonderful adventure, while at the same time you will be transported back to a time when life was much more innocent...childhood.

While, it's loosely based on the Walt Disney 1960's film, 'The Incredible Journey', Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey prove to be a great movie. I do remember, watching this movie, when I was a child, and finding myself, very entertain. This thrilling and thoroughly captivating movie has become an instant favorite with audiences of all ages. It's been years since I first saw this, and even today, I can find myself, tearing up for this. Based off, the best-selling novel, The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, the movie directed by Duwayne Dunham, tells the story about three household pets getting lost in the wilderness, on their way to reunite with their owners. The movie is told by narration by Chance, a young American bulldog (voiced by Michael J. Fox), whom tells the misadventures, he had with a wise old golden retriever, Shadow (Voiced by Don Ameche) and a feisty Himalayan cat, Sassy (voiced by Sally Fields). While, the movie is for children, the movie did had some really get frighten scary action scenes for adults. With great editing, the animals really did look like they were in endanger, from waterfalls, mountain lions, and even porcupine. My heart was racing in every scene. I really care for them, and really hope, they survive the journey. This movie made me care, more than 1987's Benji the Hunted. These three animals are so well trained in this film. The owners did such an amazing job with the animals. I was deeply surprised that the cat that play Sassy AKA Tiki was train so well to not only interact with the dogs, but also do a lot of active things. My cat just sit on her butt, all day. Even the small stuff like the dog that play Shadow, AKA Ben sighing on the porch at the home they were left at, was amazing. There was also a great shot of Shadow look like he's shouting run, when the mountain lion appears. Don't get me started with the emotional scene toward the end. Goes to show Hollywood does not need all the computer work involved in animating animals. Still- there were so badly done takes that they kept in, for some inside laughs. It has to do with the dog that play Chance named Rattler. He always tripped or knocking into things like trees. A good example of this is in the reunion scene with Sassy where he trip over a gopher hole. Rattler still had some really funny reactions. I love the cake eating scene, and him playing with the chickens. I do like the movie is view as the animal's POV. You truly get the sense of how life is like for a dog and a cat. They don't truly understand, vacation or short-term leave. They only know, how it feels to be abandoned. I like how the journey starts by misunderstanding. This being a pre-1996's Babe talking critter flick. The dogs and character don't actually talk with their mouth. It just pasted instead on top of their filmed behaviors, a technique which looks more convincing in some scenes than others. Other times, what is being said, doesn't matched what's happening on screen. Great voice actors. Don Ameche really got the token of wisdom/insight down. Michael J. Fox was both funny and youthful. Still a lot of what he said, like Birdzilla and Arnold Schwarzen-kitty is so out there, that makes you need to suspense your disbelief, even more since they don't understand human speech or some human actions. Last, Sally Field indeed got the lady charms balance. She wasn't too unlikeable. She was snarky, but kind and heroic. The characters are way different than the ones in the book. Shadow is Luath's breed type which is a retriever, but has the personality of Bodger's old age. Chance in the book is English bull terrier named Bodger and has the goofy personality of Luath's age. The other big different is that, Sassy in the book is a male Siamese cat named Tao. Even the family was change, from the Hunters to the Burnfords as homage to the original author. Not only is the characters different from the book, but most of the story. In this movie, the three don't meet up with any Native Americans during their trip. The location was switch from the wilderness of Canada, to Sierra Nevada Mountain Range as well. Beautiful use of locations. The soundtrack by composer Bruce Broughton always remembers me to my man's best friend or a really good Western. The Reunited part is just epic. It even used great establish songs, fine, like the Mission: Impossible theme plays as Sassy infiltrates the pound. That was fun to listen and watch. There was a sequel released in 1996, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco. In my opinion, it's not worth watching, the sequel. They should had just stick to one film. Overall: This is a movie for all ages but especially kids will love this due to the animals and the clever humor. Animal enthusiasts' adults would love it for the action and depth. It has everything what a movie for the whole family needs. A must watch.

My sister had a VHS copy years and years ago, but our mom got rid of it feeling we had outgrown it. Maybe in adolescence, she was right. Fast forward to 10+ years later and I decide to check a DVD copy out of the library just for old times' sake for no real reason. Prior to now (I'm a 27-year-old single man), I have discovered lots of movies I was too young to see circa 1993...A Clockwork Orange, Reservoir Dogs, The Terminator, Road Trip...OK, that movie didn't come out 'til 2000 and it's not an absolute classic like the first three, but you get the idea! I popped the movie into my player this evening to see if the movie held up. And wouldn't you know it...it does! In fact, I cried so much at the end, my ears are still moist half an hour after it ended.Truth be told, however, the first few minutes are pretty stupid, but it does show Chance and Sassy's resentment to one another, which is important to the story. The real magic comes when the three animals (especially Chance) realize what home and family really means when their child owners leave them on a farm. That's when they decide to make their escape and from there, it's an adventure that may be dangerous, but in the words of Sassy, "I laugh at danger." The most touching scenes are Sassy finding her way back to Chance and Shadow after she was rescued from being drowned and Shadow finding the lost Molly in the woods. The touching musical score from Bruce Broughton is also a major factor.I'd like to note I work with pets sometimes, so I know how it would feel if one of them (or even all of them) just disappeared. My family's favourite cat died of old age in July 2011. As you can imagine, I was heartbroken, but at that time, I was sharing a house with a middle-aged couple who had two shihtzus, so before I went out to do my errands that day, I made sure to say hello to the two little dogs because although one of my family pets was gone, I had two other ones who could be a beacon of hope for me.No matter how old you are or what your tastes are or if you generally can't stand anything that comes from Disney, you seriously must see this film and you'll feel redeemed that way. And as piece of advice: don't be afraid to let a song or a movie or a TV show turn on the waterworks for you; it means you have a soul.

This is a remake of the 1963 oldie 'The Incredibly Journey'. Surprisingly the plot is almost identical. The biggest difference is that this version is more movie-like and has far more humor. Another big difference is that the animals talk here, which is good because they only talk by telepathy. If they talked and moved their lips like people or like animals do in cartoons, it would be phony and ridiculous. I hate it when they do that.The older version resembles a documentary, humor is not a priority and the animals don't talk. That's just the way they are: simply animals and not human-like. More than a remake, this more recent version is a more likable and amusing film although clearly based on the old one.For those who are fond of good animal movies, I dare to say that this is an instant classic. It's very hard to find an animal film of good taste like this nowadays.This charming motion picture is heartwarming, touching, fun and contains lots of adventure, enjoyable characters and a classic soundtrack. The Sierra mountains are astonishing, being the result rich and wonderful landscapes, so beautiful that it's like a dream.As for the pets (3 great animal actors voiced by human actors who do a pretty good vocal job), Sassy and Chance are a comic relief. Shadow is wise and caring. Shadow possesses all the qualities a Golden Retriever is supposed to have, which makes him a favorite (and besides, I adore Golden Retrievers). The human characters, more precisely the family, are likable characters too and well performed by the actors.This film was followed by a sequel which is okay but lacks what makes the first one such an appreciated classic.Title in Portugal: 'Regresso a Casa'.