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Our movie guy, James Finnegan, says there’s some shaggy dog stories, action and drama on TV today…
Based on the Jack London novel, Call of the Wild (Saturday 6.30pm RTE1) is based around the central character of a dog named Buck.
He is a crossbreed between a St Bernard and a Scotch Sheppard, a big kind hearted dog, who enjoys life in Santa Clara, California.
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He is stolen and finds himself in Alaska and the Yukon during the famous 1890’s Gold Rush, where big dogs are needed to pull sleds.
Although he is more used to a life of leisure, his will to survive is strong which is badly needed, and he needs to be strong among the pack of dogs he lives and works with on the mail run.
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An incidental moment of kindness to a grieving widow, Thornton, has long term ramifications for Buck, but there are many adventures between their intermittent meetings.
This is a fine family film, and although the CGI effects are variable, the warmth and charm of the cast, including Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Dan Stevens and Karen Gillan, ensure an enjoyable watch.
More action adventure takes place in Skyscraper (Saturday 9pm RTE2) where Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is a former Marine, FBI hostage negotiator and amputee who is now a security expert at the world’s tallest building in Hong Kong.
He finds himself framed for sabotage when the skyscraper bursts into flames. Not only that, but his family are being held hostage by criminals on the 225th floor, and he must fight his way back into the towering inferno – sorry, I couldn’t resist it – to rescue them.
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Also starring Neve Campbell, Chin Han and Roland Taylor, and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, this disappointed at the Box Office, hence the lack of Skyscraper 2 sightings.
In Man About Dog (Saturday 9.30pm TG4), Mo Chara (Allen Leech), Cerebral Paul (Tom Murphy) and Scud Murphy (Ciaran Nolan) jointly own a greyhound. They intend to use the dog to pay off a £50,000 debt to a Belfast bookie, but the dog begins to cause more problems than anticipated.
However, when the dog shows an unexpected talent, the trio work hard and travel far to keep the dog and stay out of the clutches of the various groups who have taken an unexpected interest in their canine friend. This is a decent, home grown comedy that was directed by Paddy Breathnach.
Sandra Bullock stars as Gwen Cummings, a big city newspaper columnist in 28 Days (Saturday 10.45 RTE2). She is rather over fond of having a “good time” courtesy of drink and drugs.
When she gets loaded at her sister’s wedding and crashes the limousine, her family decide it is time she got herself sorted out at the 28 Days rehab facility referred to in the title.
Also starring Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Elizabeth Perkins, Diane Ladd and Steve Buscemi. Not one of Sandra’s best but will while away a couple of hours. Enjoy!
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