Nikki - Wild Dog of the North

Starring:Jean Coutu, Jacques Fauteux, Ã‰mile Genest, Don Haldane, Uriel Luft, Robert Rivard
Director: Don Haldane
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

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This story, based on the novel Nomads of the North by James Oliver Curwood, is about the adventures of a malamute dog named Nikki. Nikki and his kind master, Andre Dupas, are traveling via canoe through the Canadian Rockies. When Nikki encounters Neewa, a bear cub that's lost its mother, Andre ties the two animals together, plops them in the canoe, and heads for the rapids. When the two animals become separated from Andre, the unlikely pair must learn to survive in the wilderness. What is initially a relationship of hate and incompatibility transforms into one of compromise and friendship between species. Encounters with timber wolves, lynx, wolverines, and many other wild animals are vividly photographed and give viewers a real sense of life in the wild . When Neewa begins his long winter hibernation, Nikki sets off alone on a desperate hunt for food. Man's scent leads him not to the friendly Andre Dupas, but to an angry trader who attempts to trap and poison him, eventually capturing him and training him as a fighting dog. This 73-minute feature has absolutely breathtaking animal and nature photography and the action is plentiful and absorbing. Especially forward-thinking for its time (1961) are its declaration that Indians don't deserve to be treated as slaves, but as equals in the quest to trap animals, and its assertion that dog fights are "cruel, savage, not human, and bloodthirsty." Nonetheless, animal-rights activists and sensitive children alike will find disturbing the shots of steel traps in use, the incident in which Neewa and Nikki almost choke one another with the line that joins them, and the gruesome dog fight scene. (Ages 9 and older) Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

An entertaining nature film with a story........2001-04-27

One thing can be said about Disney in the 50s and 60s, and that is it put out some great films with animal stars, from the True-Life Adventure series to "Old Yeller" and others. This film combines a True-Life filmmaking approach with a good adventure story, and the result is entertaining family fare. The Malamute and the bear cub are adorable! Both adventure and nature commentary are shown, combined with gorgeous on-location photography (filmed in Canada) and a nice music score.

Personal favorite.......2000-11-23

My great-aunt raised the dog in this film and when I saw it as a child I had a personal interest. Walt Disney made this movie and it is one that you wanted everything to turn out great for the dog. The dog is beautiful and the scenery is great. Thanks to Violet Reddington there is a classic dog film that everyone is sure to love.

One the all-time finest dog movies! Buy it now!.......2000-03-14

A beautifully filmed adapation of James O. Curwood's NOMADS OF THE NORTH (quite different from the book-- an entire romance plot is dropped-- which is actually better! ), NIKKI is one of the greatest dog films ever. Here is Disney live-action at its best, with incredible scenery and a great story set in the Canadian Northwest of 1899.

Also, the Indian is played sympathetically by a real native actor-- a double rarity from the time of this film's production.

Your kids will love it, and its just what they should be watching... buy it before it goes out of print again. AL

EXCELLENT.......1999-10-20

THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE I EVER SEE

Nikki, falsely accused, comes to the rescue of his master........1999-07-12

In this Disney classic, the hero, Nikki, comes to the aid of his master and saves the day. The film which is stunningly filmed in the outdoors, is appropriate for middle school aged children. The overt manipulation of emotions by the director at the end of the movie produces a heartwarming (and predictable to adults) ending. This is a must own video.

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