"Into The Wild" Movie Review

This film took me over two weeks to finish, mainly because it was inappropriate in some areas and could only be viewed when I was alone (which was no so often). But, following the critical acclaim this film received, I decided to push forward, and upon finishing the film, I found that I was....less than impressed.

Now, this film was not terrible. Heavens not. The cinematography is well done, the musical score is good, and even the script does a fine job. But the main problem in this film, a very obvious one, is the character of Chris McCandless. This movie is based on his experiences, so I'm not going to try and deliberately criticize him or anything, because he was a real person. 

That being said, he was a very naive and unprepared person. 

The story of Chris begins with his college graduation, when he decides that he is going to abandon his nurturing suburban life, which includes a loving family and a large trust fund, to live in the wild. Though he had some previous experience with living life on the lamb, he dreams of going to Alaska, the ultimate frontier, and right after graduation he decides to fulfill his promise. The long journey to the "Last Frontier" is filled with all sorts of interesting experiences, whether they be exciting or harmful, and he meets some very colorful characters. When he reaches Alaska, he sets up camp in an abandoned bus, and realizes that life in the wilderness isn't as easy as he previously thought. 

People say they admire Chris for his optimism, courage, and perseverance. And while these are all fine and dandy, he is also extremely impulsive. Throughout the film, he believes that he can do things like jump trains, hop over properties (or borders) without ID, and abandon his car in the middle of nowhere, all without getting caught. He tries very hard to disappear, and since he barely has contact with his family, he doesn't seem to care that they are so fearful of his disappearance that they hired a team of private investigators to find him, and were worried sick for months. He also has an extremely idealized view of Alaska, thinking that it is a land of plenty that will fulfill all of his needs infinitely, and that includes emotional and social needs. 

When Chris keeps making one mistake after the other, you find it hard to feel bad for him, much less recognize him as a hero. He's from the suburbs, for crying out loud, and he's barely ever been on his own. In fact, his journals would detail how he accepted, once he began to starve, that people need other people to survive. I will say, though, that it seemed noble of him to accept his fate as self-inflicted. But his death could have easily been prevented had he been better prepared. Many survivalists have criticized McCandless, stating that due to his naivety and ill-preparedness, Chris had essentially committed suicide. And perhaps he had. 

Chris' character aside, the other cast does their job well, except possibly for Kristen Stewart, who appears awkward next to Emile Hirsch. Jena Malone, who is Chris' sister, also does a good job, though I wished her character had more development. 

Overall, the film itself is decent, but drags on way too long, and the main character will probably irritate most viewers. 

Rating: 6/10