Review of Benji the Hunted (1987) by Dave H — 02 Jul 2008

Three stars for the dog - that face, those eyes...more expressive and heartwarming than most Oscar winners. One star combined for the stunning scenery, for the native animals, for the courage to make an almost dialogue-free film, and for the creative editing - making the repetitive chase scenes of tiny Benji outrunning wolves, bears, cougars - seem plausible for the kiddies.

Oh, and for the hilarious bit when the wolf dummy gets thrown off the cliff. But one star OFF for the dreary 80's synthesized music, the repetitive chase scenes (ok 20 years ago, but wouldn't cut it with today's kids), and especially for the dubious use of wild animals getting (offscreen, but obviously) pushed and prodded around for narrative purposes.

But Benji's EYES...geez...