Boring, long, and too preachy.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

"Nikki, Wild Dog of the North" was an interesting hybrid of a movie made while Walt Disney was still alive, though not the first time Disney made such a hybrid. It is a cross between one of Disney's True Life documentaries with a fictional narrative. The end results are somewhat mixed. There is some nice scenery, a breezy narrative, and the footage of animals in action is interesting - especially since some of the stuff the animals are put through would probably cause an outcry by the SPCA and animal lovers today. The human side of the movie is somewhat less successful, with human characters that are stereotyped at best and downright goofy at their worst. The narration is overbearing and pretentious at times as well. All of this results in a movie that is probably best for younger children, though older children and their parents will probably find it bearable if they can't find anything better to watch.

I remember loving to watch this movie on Wonderful World of Disney as a kid. It's about a malamute puppy who becomes separated from his master. He befriends an orphaned bear cub named Neewah and the two are together for about a year. After Neewah starts hibernating, Nikki is very lonely and seeks out the companionship of wolves, but is rejected.I thought it was a very dramatic movie for being about an animal. It shows how a dog passes through the hands of two masters, one kind and one cruel. How easily trust can be shattered and how things must be put right again. The friendship between the dog and the bear was great too because they had to compromise in such things as diet and sleeping position.I'd definitely recommend this movie for a kid I loved, especially one who loves dogs.

I watched "Nikki" (1961) and "Benji the Hunted" (1987) back-to-back today, and since there are not enough things to say about those two films in two separate reviews, it's better to compare them in one. They have very similar storylines (a dog tries to survive in the wilderness) and they are both primarily aimed at kids, but the quality levels differ: "Nikki" (**1/2) is a simple, straightforward, adventurous, well-made Disney tale, while "Benji the Hunted" (*1/2) is a sleep-inducing one. Voice-over narration is often regarded as an annoying gimmick, but the narrator in "Nikki" has a very pleasant voice and agreeable material to work with, while "Benji" omits the narration entirely and replaces it with an obtrusive, often inappropriate music score. In short, "Nikki" is much better.

I know most people think the Disney live-action movies of the 1960s were a rather pathetic bunch, made only to cash in on the organization's name...but if that's true, how do you explain their appeal? -Nikki- is a perfectly good film, with some amazing scenes of interaction between a Malamute pup and a bear cub. The setting--northern Canada--is lovely enough to captivate people, and of course it's a nice flick to show to your kids. One word of caution: some of the people portrayed in the "mining town" are a rowdy bunch, so you might want to wait 'til the kids are over 5 before you show 'em...just in case they start asking questions. (Don't worry, it's *rated* "G".)