Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Any time you settle in for a talking animal movie, one never knows how cheesy of a movie they are in for. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, the 1993 feature by director Duwayne Dunham was not plagued by some of the common problems in talking animal movies. The two dogs and a cat who make the incredible journey to find the owners they think have abandoned them, are well-written and given interesting enough personalities for the audience to get engaged in their stories and sit at attention with them until the very end. Setting out to find their owners and the only home they've ever known, the animals learn a lot about love and comradery along the way. Life is good for Shadow (Don Ameche), Chance (Michael J. Fox), and Sassy (Sally Field). Both dogs and the cat are cared for and loved incessantly by their wonderful attentive owners. After their owners marry and their family grows, something unusual happens. They notice a lot of suitcases and they go to a strange place. Unbeknownst to them, Bob Seaver (Robert Hays) has gotten a researching job in San Francisco and will be temporarily locating the family there until his project is done. Leaving the animals at a friend of their female owner's, the family leaves with promises misunderstood by the animals of returning for visits. Perplexed at their loving owner's abandonment, Shadow is convinced a mistake has been made and encourages the dogs to follow him in an attempt to find their owners. Traversing the rough and wild terrain proves more than the animals anticipated, and soon wonder if they will be safe and loved ever again. The visuals in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey were strikingly captivating, much grander and more beautiful than I expected from a children's movie. The establishment shots in the beginning especially, were breathtaking capturing the true wilderness the animals would have to endure. Watching a family movie, one expects a decent amount of clean packaging, which did occur in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, it is easily forgiven however because the creatures were so well-written. It was fun to follow along with the main characters despite them not being human. Talking animal films are usually in a class by themselves as far as cheesiness. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey doesn't suffer from such cheese, however. I believe, a large reason why Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is so tolerable is because the animals mouths don't move in sync with their dialogue. I always thought that the synced mouth movements and dialogue was a peculiar choice for filmmakers of talking animal movies. The decision makes it no more believable that animals are actually talking simply because their mouths move like human's when they speak. A few brilliant filmmaking decisions, a beautifully shot film, and a perfect ending scene make Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey the perfect film from one's childhood with their own blossoming families.

This was my favorite movie as a kid! Actually is now one of my favorite movies of all time! It's the perfect family film that will have you laughing, on the edge of your seat, clapping, and crying! The amazing story of two dogs and a cat who travel through the Sierra Nevada Mountains trying to return to their owners. This movie has no swearing, no violence, a little bit of profanity, but overall great for all ages! This film takes you on the adventure of a lifetime with great cinematography of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, awesome animal training, and an all star cast of voices and actors! Sally Field voices the cat Sassy who is the very sassy practical part of the family who has a feud with Chance. Chance the American Bulldog is the young puppy who is very energetic and paranoid about the pound from where he was rescued. Don Alder voices Shadow the old Golden Retriever who is the leader of the family. If this movie does not have you balling at the end of it then you have no soul or have never owned a pet in your life.

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.

This is a story of two dogs and a cat looking for their way back home.Old and wise Golden Retriever Shadow, young American Bulldog Chance and Himalayan cat Sassy flee from the ranch and go into the wilderness to be reunited with their family.Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) is a family adventure directed by Duwayne Dunham.It's a remake of a 1963 film.This movie got a sequel three years later.Michael J. Fox is the perfect man to do the voice-over for Chance.Fox has some youthful energy he brings to the role.Sally Field does great voice work as Sassy.Don Ameche is fantastic as Shadow.This was this veteran actor's second last movie.Also the visible actors are great.Kim Greist plays Laura Burnford-Seaver.Robert Hays is Bob Seaver.Benji Thall plays Peter Burnford.Veronica Lauren is Hope Burnford.Kevin Chevalia is Jamie Seaver.Jean Smart portrays Kate.It's quite amazing to watch these pets trying to survive in the wilderness.We see Sassy taken by the river and she seems like a goner.The bear scene is exiting and funny.Chance has no chance with that big, hungry bear.And his meeting with the porcupine looks painful.This is some great fun for the whole family.