Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This movie is a remake of the 1963 original, which was based on a popular children's book "The Incredible Journal". The story concerns two dogs and a cat which leave a temporary boarding home and journey through a wilderness to their family home. The contrast between the original and this remake illustrates the change from viewing animals as animals and viewing them as funny shaped people. The original had a narrator, who filled in on the animal's motivations as needed. The events of the story, while implausible for a single set of animals in a small time span, were each individually reasonable. In the remake, the animals talk. (Spoiler: animals can't talk.) They reason and act like humans. Many of their actions are implausible. This is a good movie for children if all you want is an expanded cartoon like fantasy world. But if you want a movie about real creatures worthy of the love and respect we give our pets, stick to the original.

Disney remakes The Incredible Journey: the location is different (Oregon here, doubling for California), the breeds of the itinerant trio have been tweaked, the family is a bit higher profile, and this time there is no narrator: the animal threesome are voiced by notable talent (Don Ameche, Sally Field, Michael J Fox).Otherwise, the mixture is much as before - a journey full of trials, with spectacular scenery as a backdrop, chuckles here and there, and a handful of tear-jerking moments.The scenery is indeed spectacular, the editing is very skillful, the script is none too special, but is largely saved by the sheer professionalism of the voice talent. This is one for a family Sunday afternoon: adults in the absence of kids will find it sugary enough to induce diabetes.

This is a remake of the 1963 oldie 'The Incredibly Journey'. Surprisingly the plot is almost identical. The biggest difference is that this version is more movie-like and has far more humor. Another big difference is that the animals talk here, which is good because they only talk by telepathy. If they talked and moved their lips like people or like animals do in cartoons, it would be phony and ridiculous. I hate it when they do that.The older version resembles a documentary, humor is not a priority and the animals don't talk. That's just the way they are: simply animals and not human-like. More than a remake, this more recent version is a more likable and amusing film although clearly based on the old one.For those who are fond of good animal movies, I dare to say that this is an instant classic. It's very hard to find an animal film of good taste like this nowadays.This charming motion picture is heartwarming, touching, fun and contains lots of adventure, enjoyable characters and a classic soundtrack. The Sierra mountains are astonishing, being the result rich and wonderful landscapes, so beautiful that it's like a dream.As for the pets (3 great animal actors voiced by human actors who do a pretty good vocal job), Sassy and Chance are a comic relief. Shadow is wise and caring. Shadow possesses all the qualities a Golden Retriever is supposed to have, which makes him a favorite (and besides, I adore Golden Retrievers). The human characters, more precisely the family, are likable characters too and well performed by the actors.This film was followed by a sequel which is okay but lacks what makes the first one such an appreciated classic.Title in Portugal: 'Regresso a Casa'.

First of all, I loved Bruce Broughton's music score, very lyrical, and this alone added to the film's charm. The best aspect of the movie were the three animals, superlatively voiced by Michael J.Fox, Sally Field and the late Don Ameche. Whereas Fox has the funniest lines, Ameche plays a rather brooding otherwise engaging character(the voice of reason), and Field adds wit into a character that is always seen telling Chance off. The humans weren't as engaging, and sometimes the film dragged, but that is my only complaint. This is one beautiful-looking film, with beautiful close up shots of Canada, I believe. Although the film itself is quite long, there is never a seriously dull moment, and this is advantaged by the voice work and a well-written script. All in all, a charming and perhaps underrated film, with a 9/10 from me. Bethany Cox.