Benji the Hunted

This is a film appreciated most by those who enjoy nature and animals. There is little speaking in the film as the star of the film is Benji, and he is lost in the wild and away from humans. (There is maybe a minute or two of dialogue at most in the entire film.) This film entirely focuses on Benji and some wild kittens that he takes care of in the wild and tries to keep from danger. It's a cute film, but it also shows us the not-so-cute side of nature when some of the kittens end up in fatal situations. A touching film, Benji the Hunted will be enjoyed by children and it sends a good and honest message to us about nature and survival.

Benji the Hunted is a movie that will surely bring a warm joy to animal lovers. The biggest strength of the movie is the detailed portrayal of emotions by the animal star-cast. It is nearly impossible to miss the perfection with which director Joe Camp captures even tiny details like the trembling legs of cougar kittens that followed Benji, the innocence of their faces, or even their spontaneous playful nature. The movie is not about Benji performing breath-taking complicated maneuvers to save the day, rather how Benji faces the day-to-day challenges of living in the wild with the added responsibility of four orphaned cougar kittens. The challenges of the wild are plentiful, enough to keep your eyes hooked to the screen. Yet it's not a fast-paced thriller which would have cost the movie its credibility as a realistic one. The human actors in the movie have very limited role, and the director wastes no time in bundling them out of limelight. Benji again emerges as a hero, showing a big "human" heart, and the message of peace and non-violence is very effectively communicated in the movie. The background score is average, yet does its job efficiently by not distracting the audience from the movie. It is a family movie suitable for all age groups, and a recommended watch for all animal lovers.

I saw this movie when I was little on vhs after it came out in 1987, I loved the wildlife element and the fact that benji was so loving and caring for those he protected against the wolf, it sucks that this movie benji the hunted isn't in none of the benji dvd movie collections or on blu ray but hopefully one day it will, and I'd love to see deleted scenes to if there are any, I saw this benji movie before any of the others actually, and later in school I saw a different benji movie and I did not like it, this a certain realness to this movie, not a lot of talking in it, there's a certain sadness or odd feeling that this movie gives off, but benji sacrifices a lot and it shows he is a great dog, I still love this film

a number of times. Just happened to come upon again this past weekend and I was really not in the mood for a tear jerker, but I sat back and watched it again.

What a wonderful film. The dedication that went into the training of these animals and the time it must of took.

This film tells a wonderful story of a mutt with love in his heart and the courage to take over a situation that would be very hard for the rest of us to do.

Some of us can't take care of and protect our own children sometimes, imagine getting four more kids added onto your waist belt and then having to protect them from predators that walk on four legs with giant fangs or slide upon the ground in quiet with poison in their mouths. Never mind the two legged predators you would have to deal with. Then there is Mother Nature and the other elements of the forest to worry about. Then food - oh my goodness. This little dogs heart is the size of the Earth. Thank you Benji. Thank you for teaching me a little something for when I have kids.

I remember seeing the first two Benji movies as a kid, but when this came out, I was in high school and didn't have an interest in seeing it during that time in my life. Just now watched this on DVD, twenty years later after it was released in theaters, and I can honestly say that my girlfriend and I truly enjoyed this movie. Some of the peril might be a little upsetting for small children or sensitive viewers, but it simulated drama that was more compelling than the first two Benji movies. The first movie will always be a classic, but this movie seemed to be more effective, probably due to the setting and the plot. Having less cheesy human dialog like the first two movies had was refreshing as well. Just letting the animals "act" made for an enjoyable movie watching experience. Anyone who is an animal lover will really love this movie! I highly recommend it!