Wolf Totem is a stunning naturalistic look at China via the stunning eye of Annaud.
“Wolf Totem” is an engaging film about man vs. nature from the king of the genre. Jean-Jacques Annaud isn’t a name that gets bandied about film fans and the public. But, Annaud has created such fare as “The Bear”, “Quest for Fire” and “Two Brothers” over the last few decades. He gets the natural demand of beauty and how the civilized interact with it. So, should I be impressed that he tackled a literary adaptation of an outsider during Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
Well, yeah. Taking a majority Asian cast with one of the last James Horner scores is no easy feat. The film wants to lend itself to the grandiose and present overly dramatic takes on what it means to save animals. But, the relationship with the Mongolian wolfpack goes beyond that. It’s a film of compassion and trying to understand your place in the world. Lofty goals, but handled far better than Western fare like “Dances with Wolves”.
The Blu-Ray comes with 2D and 3D transfers of the film. SONY has knocked the 3D transfer out of the mix, by creating a visual environment that seems to stretch for miles. When the horses charge or wolves attack, the 3D pulls you into the mix with such savagery. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track is an even mix that helps the 3D create total audio and visual immersion. In the end, it’s well worth a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 12/15/2015