Benji the Hunted
Encyclopedia
Benji the Hunted is a 1987 children's film about a dog trying to survive in the wilderness. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures
. This was the last Benji movie to star Benjean in the title role.
has become lost in a remote area of Oregon after a boating accident. He finds himself struggling to survive in the wilderness
, avoiding close encounters with a timber wolf
, a brown bear
, and a territorial female cougar with her cub. Benji made friends with other animals including a Great Horned Owl
, a deer
, a Red Fox
and a raccoon
. After becoming stranded, Benji observes the female cougar gunned down by a hunter. Benji attempts to comfort the dying animal, but he is chased away by the hunter, who then retrieves the dead cat and marches off with it draped over his shoulders. Benji eventually encounters four orphan
ed cougar cubs, belonging to the killed cougar, and he attempts to shield them from predation. A black timber wolf, relentlessly pursuing the cubs, is one of the main antagonist
s and highlights of the film. In one of the film's more tragic scenes, one of the cubs is carried off by a bird of prey
. In the final encounter and chase with the wolf, Benji tricks the wolf by hiding in the bushes that shields the cliff behind it and sends the wolf flying off the cliff, becoming the victim of his own misjudgment. Benji later tries to catch up with the female cougar he encountered earlier with the intention of leaving the three remaining cubs in her care. Having accomplished this, he is then seen by his master, who flies overhead in a helicopter while searching for Benji.
gave Benji the Hunted four stars (out of four) as well as a "Thumbs Up." Gene Siskel
gave the film a "Thumbs Down," criticizing Ebert for liking the film more than Stanley Kubrick
’s Full Metal Jacket
.
Benji the Hunted holds a 63% fresh rating in Rotten Tomatoes.
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. This was the last Benji movie to star Benjean in the title role.
Plot
BenjiBenji
Benji is the name of a fictional dog who has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the Benji series....
has become lost in a remote area of Oregon after a boating accident. He finds himself struggling to survive in the wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
, avoiding close encounters with a timber wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, a brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, and a territorial female cougar with her cub. Benji made friends with other animals including a Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
, a deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, a Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
and a raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
. After becoming stranded, Benji observes the female cougar gunned down by a hunter. Benji attempts to comfort the dying animal, but he is chased away by the hunter, who then retrieves the dead cat and marches off with it draped over his shoulders. Benji eventually encounters four orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed cougar cubs, belonging to the killed cougar, and he attempts to shield them from predation. A black timber wolf, relentlessly pursuing the cubs, is one of the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s and highlights of the film. In one of the film's more tragic scenes, one of the cubs is carried off by a bird of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
. In the final encounter and chase with the wolf, Benji tricks the wolf by hiding in the bushes that shields the cliff behind it and sends the wolf flying off the cliff, becoming the victim of his own misjudgment. Benji later tries to catch up with the female cougar he encountered earlier with the intention of leaving the three remaining cubs in her care. Having accomplished this, he is then seen by his master, who flies overhead in a helicopter while searching for Benji.
Cast
- Benjean (daughter of HigginsHiggins (dog)Higgins was one of the best-known dog actors of the 1960s – 1970s. Most people remember him either as "Dog" or as "Benji," two of the most popular roles he played during a 14-year career in show business....
) as BenjiBenjiBenji is the name of a fictional dog who has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the Benji series.... - Red SteagallRed SteagallRussell Steagall is a multitalented showbusiness personality whose career has covered a period of 35 years and has spanned the globe...
- Frank InnFrank InnFrank Inn was born as Elias Franklin Freeman, was an American animal trainer. He trained several animals for movies, but was most known for his work with the dogs in the Benji series.-Personal life:...
Critical reception
Notable movie critic Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave Benji the Hunted four stars (out of four) as well as a "Thumbs Up." Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
gave the film a "Thumbs Down," criticizing Ebert for liking the film more than Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
’s Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
.
Benji the Hunted holds a 63% fresh rating in Rotten Tomatoes.