Sam il selvaggio

Okay...in my opinion, this sequel was better than the original. I cried my butt off in Old Yeller, but something about this movie makes me like it more than Old Yeller. I have seen Savage Sam so many times that I know ALL the words to it. It's a very good children's film, but its a "Movie that all audiences will love" If you like Old Yeller, and Where the Red Fern grows, you will love this movie.

I can't believe this movie is even listed. i love it, don't get me wrong, but i didn't think anyone else knew it existed. Savage Sam is a great movie for everyone. I used to watch it at my grandmother's house on tape when i was little, but i saw it again recently and loved it just as much as ever. The characters are kind of hokey, but so what. You don't find characters like this anymore. Travis is so cute, with his hot temper and rock throwing. I think that everyone should give it a chance, after all Savage Sam is Old Yeller's pup.

This is an entertaining film thanks in part to performances by character actor scene-stealers like Slim Pickens and Jeff York, whose ornery interactions are a joy to watch. Brian Keith portrays well the rugged frontiersman, demonstrating courage and offering avuncular wisdom. Kirk and Kristen are good as the young innocents. The main problem is the frequent intrusion of the Arliss character, who has morphed from mischievous/ornery in Old Yeller to deranged/homicidal in this film. Disney loved the image and performances of Corcoran(he was indeed a good kid actor) and perhaps exerted too much influence on the writing and directing of Savage Sam. The more PC viewers have commented on the film's scenes of cruelty to animals (at times just for laughs) and the stereotyping of native "savages." There is some justification for this criticism, but it should be noted, in regard to the portrayal of the Indians, that they were a renegade band and that some white settlers are equally stereotyped. Also, one of the ranchers actually sympathizes with the Indians in their plight, and there is obvious condemnation of the "only-good-Indian-is-a-dead-one" white settler who wants to shoot the wounded. Another virtue of the film is the sweep and color of its exterior landscape shots. There is even an (almost convincing) deadly prairie hailstorm! All this considered, some first-time viewers may find the film's strengths outweigh its weaknesses.

I saw this movie within the last few years and sadly is one of those films, that while not the worst I have seen...just didn't click with me. Yes, "Savage Sam" had a tough act to follow, and one has to keep in mind that it should be watched with the understanding that it was not intended to be another "Old Yeller". But due to several factors, in my opinion, this movie could have been a lot better.

*There is confusion as to how Sam is related to Old Yeller. Is he supposed to be the now grown dog seen in the original "Old Yeller" as a puppy? Or did Yeller stud another female around the same time resulting in the dog seen in "Savage Sam"? Or was the spotted dog seen in "Savage Sam" a litter mate to the yellow pup seen in O.Y?

*The acting, in my opinion seems lackluster. While Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran displayed amazing chemistry in "Old Yeller" and many of the other films they starred in together...they seemed to be "going through the motions" in this picture.

*The story pacing was a bit choppy...often boring. Fred Gipson's book of the same title provides some background and imagery, helping to keep the story moving along. Seems to be missing here.

*Finally, yes there were settler/Indian battles from that time era, but Disney did indeed paint Native Americans in an excessively evil light. Could have been handled better...this is where background and history of the conflict could have been developed a bit better.

All in all, this movie is not unwatchable...but due to flaws which I have described, I think the movie is weak...despite me keeping in mind that "Savage Sam" is no "Old Yeller".

Not that many people, even among those who are big fans of OLD YELLER, know that a sequel was made to that beloved movie. Seeing the sequel today, I think I know why this sequel quickly drifted out of the public's conscious. Despite the movie having the name of the family dog in its title, there are large chunks of the movie where the dog is off camera. (And why is Sam shown to have a dark colored coat of hair when in the first movie as a puppy, he had golden hair?) Also, the characters of the little brother and the teenage girl are off camera for a sizable chunk of time as well. The biggest problem the movie has is that there isn't as much excitement or big feelings about anything like the first movie had. It's as if the movie was trying to be as mediocre as possible. Still, some loutish viewers may get a few laughs from how uncomfortable Tommy Kirk seems to be in the scenes where he's paired up with a female love interest.