Movie and Film Profile: The Wild (2006)

The Wild was generally released theatrically on April 14, 2006. Produced by Walt Disney Productions in association with Hoytboy Pictures, Sir Zip Productions, Contrafilm, and C.O.R.E. Feature Animation and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. 

DMFE Rating: ★★¼☆☆ (2.25 out of 5 stars)

Caution: Possible Spoilers Ahead!

Samson (voiced by Keifer Sutherland), a lion at the Central Park Zoo, entertains visitors with stories of his supposed wild past, but struggles to connect with his son Ryan (voiced by Greg Cipes), who cannot roar. After an argument, Ryan accidentally gets shipped to Africa inside a cargo crate.

Determined to save him, Samson and his friends escape the zoo and travel across New York City before stowing away on a ship to Africa. In the wild, Ryan faces real danger and is captured by a herd of wildebeests led by Kazar (William Shatner), who believes eating a lion will make them predators.

Samson finds Ryan and admits he was never truly wild, strengthening their bond. When Ryan is taken again, Samson leads a rescue. In the final showdown near a volcano, Ryan finds his courage and roars for the first time, helping defeat Kazar. The group escapes and returns home, closer than ever.

The score for The Wild was composed and conducted by Alan Silvestri. The soundtrack was released on April 11, 2006, and it included the score along with “Real Wild Child,” performed by Everlife; “Good Enough,” performed by Lifehouse; “Clocks,” performed by Coldplay; “Really Nice Day,” performed by Eric Idle and John Du Prez; “Big Time Boopin (Go Man Go),” performed by Big Bad Vooodo Daddy; and “Lovin’ You,” performed by Minnie Roberto

First released on home video (DVD) on September 12, 2006. First released on VHS on October 31, 2006. First released on Blu-ray on November 21, 2006. The Wild is available on Disney+.

CAST & CREW

• Director: Steve “Spaz” Williams 
• Producer(s): Clint Goldman, Beau Flynn, Ed Decter (Co-Producer), John J. Strauss (Co-Producer), Jane Park (Co-Producer), Jim Burton (Associate Producer), Doug Short (Associate Producer) 
• Executive Producer(s): Kevin Lima, Will Vinton, Stefan Simchowitz 
• Screenplay by: Ed Decter, John J. Strauss, Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin 
• Story by: Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin 
• Production Designer: Chris Farmer 
• Art Director(s): Chris Farmer, Michael E. Goldman, Gary Mundell 
• Sequence Supervisor(s): Terry Bradley, Todd Jahnke 
• Character Supervisor: Ken Ouellette 
• Editor(s): V. Scott Balcerek, Steven L. Wagner 
• Composer: Alan Silvestri 
• Casting: Jen Rudin Pearson, C.S.A, Corbin Bronson, C.S.A 
• Voice Cast: Kiefer Sutherland (voice of Samson), Jim Belushi (voice of Benny), Eddie Izzard (voice of Nigel), Janeane Garafolo (voice of Bridget), William Shatner (voice of Kazar), Richard Kind (voice of Larry), Greg Cipes (voice of Ryan), Colin Hay (voice of Fergus Flamingo), Miles Marsico (voice of Duke), Jack De Sena (voice of Eze), Don Cherry (voice of Penguin MC), Christian Argueta (voice of Hamir), David Cowgill (voice of Hamir), Lenny Venito (voice of Stan), Joseph Siravo (voice of Carmine), Colin Cunningham (voice of Hyrax), Patrick Warburton (voice of Blag), Jonathan Kimmel (voice of Scab), Eddie Gossling (voice of Scraw), Clinton Leupp (voice of Mama Hippo), Kevin Michael Richardson (voice of Samson’s Father), Dominic Scott Kay (voice of Young Samson), Nika Futterman (voice of Dung Beetle #1 ), Julianne Buescher (voice of Dung Beetle #2 ), Chris Edgerly (voice of Cloak), Bob Joles (voice of Camo / Ringleader) 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• MPAA Rating: G 
• Runtime: 82 minutes 
• Sound: Digital Theater Systems (DTS), Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS), Dolby Spectral Recording, Dolby Digital, Digital Theater Systems-Extended Surround (DTS-ES), Dolby Surround 5.1 
• Format: Color 
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 
• Genre(s): Action and Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family (from movies.disney.com) 

BOX OFFICE (from IMDb.com)

• Budget: $80,000,000 (estimated) 
• Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): $9,684,809 
• Gross (U.S. & Canada): $37,384,046 
• Gross (Worldwide): $102,338,516 

RATINGS 

• My Rating: 2.25 (out of 5) 
• Rotten Tomatoes: 18% (Tomatometer) | 36% (Popcornmeter) 
• Metacritic: 47 (Metascore) | 5.0 (User Score) 
• IMDb: 5.2 (out of 10) 
• The Movie DB: 55% (User Score) 
• Letterboxd: 2.2 (out of 5) 
• Combined Rating: 43.38 

MY THOUGHTS

The Wild is worth a watch if you’re a Disney completionist or looking for a light, kid-friendly adventure that doesn’t require much investment. It’s quick, colorful, and has a solid enough heart at its core with the father-son storyline. Watch it casually or for nostalgia, but don’t expect it to be a standout Disney film.

Have you seen The Wild? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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