Hollywood Product: Alpha and Omega
An over done story makes this a bore from beginning to end.
GENRE: CGI animated adventure
THE PITCH: Kate (Hayden Panettiere) a refined, eloquent alpha member of the Gray wolf pack is thrust in a misadventure with a lower-class omega Humphrey (Justin Long) when they're captured and relocated to Idaho. As the two wolves make their way back home to Jasper Park in Canada, they learn that love transcends their pack's class structure.
MONEY SHOTS: Humphrey and Kate make a desperate attempt to save her father, the pack leader Winston (Danny Glover) and leader of the Browns, Tony (Dennis Hopper) - a competing pack from an elk stampede. Humphrey grabs a large tree bark and uses it as a bobsled to reach the two elder wolves in the nick of time.
BEST LINES: As the Browns and Grays are about to begin a fight for territory that contains migrating elk, a couple of lei-adorned she wolves prance through shouting, "Stop the insanity, go organic!"
BEST COMEDIC BEAT: Garth's howling is so bad birds (typically bluebirds) fall stunned to the ground. This happens at least five times until he finally gets into the groove thanks to Lily (Christina Ricci), Kate's little sister.
PROOF THAT THE FEMALE IS MORE DEADLIER THAN THE MALE: Kate's domestic goddess of a mother, Eve (Vicki Lewis) shocks anyone who opposes her or threatens her family. When Kate is about to go on a howl with rival pack alpha male Garth (Chris Carmack) her mother slightly bares her fangs and offers to her daughter, "If he gets out of line, take those pretty teeth and grab him by the neck ... and don't let go until his tail stops shaking." Her advice silences both packs.
BEST TRUCKSTOP TAGLINE: Along their journey home, Kate and Humphrey pass a truck stop whose neon sign reads, "Eat Food - Get Gas."
BAY-SIC INSTINCT: During a full moon, members of the pack pair-up, find a comfy spot on the cliffs and do their own unique version of baying at the moon. The usual howl is replaced with do-wop styled woos, ooos and ahhhs, complete with four-footed soft shoe dance moves.
BOTTOM LINE: What starts out as a simple tale of social class gets swamped with other competing story arcs. As the tale continues to unfolds, more scenes begin to resemble several popular animated features including Balto, The Lion King, Happy Feet, Brother Bear and even Romeo and Juliet. Director Anthony Bell, whose resume is a hodgepodge of children and adult animation appears to glue the overly complicated story together with almost risqué humor that eludes children and at times feels inappropriate for the rating it received. Aside from a few funny moments this movie is a fair movie for babysitting, but unfortunately, completely forgettable.