Into The Wild

Overview:  Sick and tired of living the rich-boy life style, Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch) decides to forsake his career, his family, and all of society in order to live in the wild of Alaska.  Along his journey he meets all kinds of neat people, including Bella Swan before she was wooed by Edward, and a very nice old man that you just want to hug.

The Good:  I’m the kind of person who loves to live life dangerously, whether that includes going kayaking during a tornado warning, drinking an entire “Monster Energy Drink” even though I have crohns, and making fun of large bears when they are on the opposite side of the fence in the zoo.  This movie is really good at making you want to be active out in the forest area, and forgetting what goes on in real life.  “Into the Wild” was amazing to look at, and at times it was so tranquil that you almost felt you were on Chris’ journey with him.  Along with how beautiful it looks, it was also the amazing soundtrack that gave the film its tranquility.  Mad Kudos out to actor Emile Hirsch, who must have undergone a lot of physical challenges in order to meet this role; it’s like he spent several years hanging out with the guy from “Man vs Wild” in order to understand nature.  As opposed to what the trailer will tell you, this movie isn’t ONLY about Christopher finding ways to keep himself entertained in the woods, its more like a “Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “Forest Gump” and “Big fish” kind of movie.  I say that because he meets and befriends a wide variety of people all throughout his journey, and each person he meets carries a very emotional story; watch out for the old guy in the end, that man will make you bawl like Miss USA after being awarded the crown. 

The Bad:  For what kind of film this is, the movie is freakishly long! By the time the two hour mark roles around you want to yell at director Sean Penn “WE UNDERSTAND!! He hates society and he won’t shoot a deer if it has a child!”  I would have liked a little bit more of Chris’ parents in the movie as well.  William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden are wonderful actors who shine in basically every movie they’ve been in, but in this movie they fall short a little bit, which is disappointing because they are usually a treat to watch… I especially love how William Hurt has the eternal constipated look on his face.

The Ugly:  This is the ideal movie for those of you who are adventurers out there.  For me what I loved most about it is how it made you feel like you were actually in nature, and it makes you want to do more out-doorsy stuff.  It may be a little long, but it’s definitely worth it.

4 out of 5