Customer Reviews

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey [VHS]

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is a Disney film based on Sheila Burford's book __The Incredible Journey__, about three household pets (specifically a bulldog named Chance, a Himalayan cat named Sassy, and a golden retriever named Shadow) who run away from a faraway ranch in order to find their way back to their home in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the owners (specifically 3 kids: a little brother named Jamie, a big brother named Peter, and a sister in the middle named Hope) call a search-and-rescue while at the same time trying to cope with a stepfather. As you may expect, this film eventually comes to a happy ending where everyone is reunited and all is well.

Now, I'm 15 years old and I have loved this film ever since I saw it in the theater at the age of 6. I had many reasons why I loved it at the time--I thought it was funny, I thought it was exciting, and the ending made me cry (hey, don't snicker, I was six years old back then). But now I have a reason why this film has stood the test of time against much flashier and less "cute" movies that I see nowadays, and that's simply because...well, because it's really a good movie!

Don't understand? Well, this film is so much more than just a movie with talking (sort of) animals that go on a journey in order to entertain little 6-year-olds. The pets aren't just animals; they exude the human personalities of their owners! Chance, owned by Jamie, is a mischievious pup who's always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Shadow, owned by Peter, is a wise old golden retriever who's always trying to keep Chance out of trouble. And Sassy, owned by Hope, is a fickle cat who always acts like she's sick of being stuck with her "brothers", if you know what I mean.

And then there's the fact that even though the pets start out acting like siblings who drive each other crazy, they wind up going through thick and thin and actually realizing that they really love each other. Also, this film also has a subplot that turns out happy too; Peter, Hope, and Jamie finally learn to love their stepfather and actually call him "Dad". When the pets are back home in the end (face it, you KNEW it was going to happen) and they see the happy faces of their ecstatic owners, and EVERYONE is actually LOVING each other like a REAL family, Chance thinks with pride, "For the first time in my life, I was HOME." Never before have I heard such a profound statement in a Disney movie.

Any idiot can entertain a 6-year-old by making him laugh, cry, and be excited. However, it takes the work of a genius to entertain a 6-year-old with a work that he will even love nine years later. See this film NOW!

P.S. Don't see the sequel--it's completely insipid, and the pets have totally lost their human personalities in it.

Homeward Bound is the homely remake of the Incredible Journey, a tale of pet's going to extremes to find their family. Michael J. Fox lends his voice talents as Chance, the most recent pet addition to the family. Chance is also the narrator of the film, which adds to the overall good nature. The movie is humorous and an overall fun family film. However, the movie is about the struggle to maintain pet-owner love, so the movie is not all laughs and giggles. Good-natured yet emotionally endearing this movie will be liked by all.

I have always loved homeward bound the incredible journey,
my favourite charactor is sassy the himalain cat
played by the voice of Sally fields.
when I ordered it from amazon.com
and it turned up at my house my heart was beeping hard out I was so exicted I watched it straight away
If you did,nt already know it is a remake of the original film
"the incredible journey" There is a cat and 2 dogs like the remake but all have differnet names sassy in the original was called tao, chance was bodger and shaddow was luath the story was based on the same as the remake but can never refill the origanal movie
from a boy named blake laurie

yep, you heard me, 17. This is ANYTHING BUT just a movie for kids- only reason it's considered a kid's movie is cause it's from Disney & there's cats & dogs in it. This movie has some hillarious lines- my favorite being Chance saying "Go steal some parrige(or however its spelled) to the bears. And of course there's "Birdzilla Returns!"- lol. Yet there are some sad parts, like when Shadow falls into the ditch & says to Chance "You've learned everything you need to know, now you just need to know how to say goodbye". I will be very honest, that part and the ending left a lump in my throat. Yep, you heard me clearly- I AM A SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD BOY and this movie made me cry! I usually am not that emotional over movies. Anywayz, this movie has a GREAT message for teens believe it or not- It can show you to not make big deals over the little things & focus more on what's really important.

As for the sequal, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Franciso, well it's good, but not nearly as good as this one. This is a must for anyone who needs a good laugh or a good message about life.

Based on The Incredible Journey, a true story, Disney adapted a animal adventure story into this marvelous film of a trio of animals who set off to find their way home. There are voice-overs that allow us to hear the animals communicating with each other, although there are no animation tricks, as in Babe, that make us want to believe the animals are `talking.' Perfect family movie for people of all ages. There's pathos, danger, adventure, fear, hope - and eventually (this is a Disney movie, after all) reunion.
Don't miss it.

So you never thought that a movie about a cat and two dogs could be so fun and at the same time bring tears to your eyes - well guess again this does. The first time I saw it all alone. My eyes where all red but at the same time I could laugh so hard and load that I think the neighbours must have heard it. I wanted to show it to my friends and the same comment came again - " a cat and two dogs, cant we see something else?" Well lets say some have bought it and others had to go the kitchen at some point..and I dont think it was because they were thirsty. Michael J. Fox is the best for the voice of Chance and Sally Field is soo cool for the voice part of Sassy. I must atmid that I dont know who is the voice of Shodow but the triangle makes it all come true in Homeward Bound. Let me finish with sassy's line...CATS RULE AND DOGS RULE !!

Only a heartless cynic would not be moved by the delightful HOMEWARD BOUND. A revisiting of an earlier Disney classic, this family film offers us Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche and Sally Field as the voices of the intrepid trio who venture out on a journey to go home, and the adventures they encounter. Robert Hays and Kim Griest are the parents, and Jean Smart has a nice turn as a friend who offers to babysit the animals when the family moves to San Francisco. The photography is beautiful and the animals are delightful; the vocal stars do a great job in elicting the characters of their respective pets. Field is especially fine as the fussy feline. Overall, a wonderful film for the whole family.

Because it's indelibly etched upon my mind. I originally got this tape in a used goods store, and I was doubtful that I would like this film. After all, it was based on a book that I had read in school some 30 years ago, and on top of that, it was a remake. I find remakes are usually nowhere near as good as the originals, so I thought Disney was just trying to milk more money out of an old license. 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey' couldn't be that good.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The used goods store that I got it at was run by a close friend of mine who gave this title to me for free, so I figured I had nothing to lose. I took it home and watched it. I was amazed. This movie has the most heart of any movie that I think I have ever seen, not to mention snappy (if not sappy) dialogue and some hair-raising moments when each animal faces a trial where you think that maybe, just maybe, they're not going to make it though.

I think that everyone's favorite is Don Ameche as the older dog, Shadow. During the movie Shadow goes from disliking the new pup (Chance), to teaching him how to be a 'good' dog, to finally depending on him. The cat, Sassy, is there to make Chance's journey miserable by trying to demonstrate her favorite saying - "Cats rule and dogs drool". The pair of them are a great comedy team. As for Chance, he starts out as a loser with no real loyalty to anyone. What does he care? He's been in the pound ('the BAD place') for most of his short life. but during this film he grows into a dog with more understanding of the relationship between him and his human.

There really is a lot more to be said about this movie, but I can guarantee that you will love it. I have watched it hundreds of times (no kidding!) and not once has the ending failed to bring tears to my eyes. And I'm a guy! As far as I'm concerned this is one of the very best movies ever made. Please don't miss it. Excellent.

I read the book a long time after I saw the movie.I have to say I liked the movie better than the book.Maybe it's because I liked the actors. Michael J. Fox was so funny as Chance,like when he and Shadow were running away from the mountain lion,he says "I'm such a wimp. I'm running from a cat!", Shadow- "I won't tell, if you won't!", "I mean this isn't your ordinary housecat, I mean this is like your Arnold Schwarz-a-kitty!" ,and a whole bunch of others.I love that the director made the animals talk.In the old movie all you saw was the animals just sitting there getting attacked by bears or something,sure the old one was okay, but I'm happy that the animals talked and had a sense of humor. This movie is perfect for all ages.A great family movie!

I avoided this film at first because I felt they "cartoonized" Sheila Burnford's original novel and the original Disney movie, which I remember seeing on the weekly television series. But seen as a stand-alone this is a fun film about three animals trying to make their way back to their family. The animals are provided voice-over thoughts by Don Ameche (as elderly Shadow), Michael J. Fox (as Chance, the young, recently adopted dog who doesn't trust the humans not to abandon him), and Sally Field (as Sassy, the sarcastic Himilayan cat), and the story is more light than Burnford's original, although there are many touching moments as well. One BIG point off for Disney failing to release this film in letterbox. Apparently they just Don't Get It.