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Never Cry Wolf

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Never Cry Wolf

PG

Released Oct 14, 1983

1h 46m

Adventure

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

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19 Reviews

84%

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5,000+ Ratings

Research scientist Tyler (Charles Martin Smith) is sent to the desolate Canadian tundra to find out whether the local wolf population is responsible for decimating Canada's caribou herds. Helped by Ootek (Zachary Ittimangnaq), a local Inuit native, Farley manages to establish an observation post and, while braving the harsh climate, begins to study a family of wolves, as well as the caribou. He eventually determines that the greatest danger to the caribou doesn't move on four legs.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Ballard and his masterly crew of film makers have reimagined a corner of the natural world...They leave us awed.

Mar 9, 2009

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Ronald Holloway

Variety

Measures up to the promise Ballard amply provided in his first feature, The Black Stallion.

Jul 23, 2008

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Time Out

For the most part very absorbing, the film suffers from some embarrassingly obvious symbolism.

Jan 26, 2006

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Octavi Marti

El Pais (Spain)

A splendid movie because of the quality and strength of its images as well as the tone of the story. [Full Review in Spanish]

Feb 6, 2020

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Common Sense Media Editors

Common Sense Media

Suspenseful, poignant wilderness film; a few gross scenes.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 5, 2011

Full Review

TV Guide

Capturing the changes a man goes through as he learns about life in the wilds, Never Cry Wolf is very informative, but it is Smith's performance that makes the film a resounding success.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 9, 2009

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David A

Wonderfully done, and a interesting subject…Great casting…

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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Rick M

Educational, profound, and poetic.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/26/24

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Audience Member

Director Carol Ballard and Walt Disney Pictures presents a true story of a man exploring the vast wilderness to find real culprits not just animals Caribou herds used to be in the millions but the numbers have dwindled down The Lupine Project is then initiated having someone do research to determine if wolves are the actual cause of caribou going extinct A research scientist named Tyler Henry Fowat goes into the Canadian tundra Ootek is a local Inuit native who assists him, he sets up an observation post But the elements prove to be challenging while studying a family of wolves as well as caribou The greatest threat to the species might not be the wolves themselves The Canadian landscapes are breathtaking, Charles Martin Smith makes for a terrific lead, and much of this is filmed pretty much like a nature documentary Although it's hard to buy it as a harmless Disney film Maybe less man nudity would've helped I mean really But the story shows even a man from the modern world can fall in love with one not so keen to such proclivities We can also learn a bit about ourselves in the process

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

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Mikey P

A thoughtful character study of inner strength challenged by impossible odds.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Jonathan C

This is an extraordinary movie. It has everything - drama, comedy, tragedy, combined with minimalist dialogue, amazing cinematography, an exquisite score, and deeper levels to ponder. A film to savour and re-watch. I have seen it perhaps twenty times since its theatrical release, and it never palls. Probably my all round favourite movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/30/22

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Audience Member

What an utterly confusing movie. I heard about this movie from a friend, however I didn't hear much about it. It has very strange scenes in it, however nothing about it feels off. It's a good, albeit a bit old, movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Carroll Ballard

Director

Charles Martin Smith

Farley Mowat

Brian Dennehy

Rosie

Zachary Ittimangnaq

Ootek

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Synopsis

Research scientist Tyler (Charles Martin Smith) is sent to the desolate Canadian tundra to find out whether the local wolf population is responsible for decimating Canada's caribou herds. Helped by Ootek (Zachary Ittimangnaq), a local Inuit native, Farley manages to establish an observation post and, while braving the harsh climate, begins to study a family of wolves, as well as the caribou. He eventually determines that the greatest danger to the caribou doesn't move on four legs.

Director: Carroll Ballard
Producer: Lewis M. Allen, Jack Couffer, Joseph Strick
Screenwriter: Curtis Hanson, Sam Hamm, Richard Kletter
Production Co: Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 14, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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