This is supposed to be a children's film, right? Who else but Lucio Fulci would present a film for the kids involving a young boy being shot dead, nuns burning to death, gold prospectors freezing in the snow then having their legs amputated (and then tortured!), a dog fighting an eagle, a man shooting himself in the head and a bunch of dogs eating a guy alive?
Just look at the line up of actors for this one, however. You've got Franco Nero (Street Law, Enter the Ninja), John Stiener (Commando Leopard and Mannaja), in fine moustache twiddling evil form here, Donald O'Brien (Emmanual and the Last Cannibals, Ghosthouse), Werner Pocath (Days of Hell and Cat of Nine Tails) and a guy who looks like Al Cliver (House of Clocks and Demonia), but isn't Al Civer (Devil Hunter and White Cannibal Queen). Wasn't Al Cliver (The Beyond and Zombie Flesh Eaters) available? Also, Nick Alexander dubs about 70% of the cast personally. I haven't even got to the dog yet!
While Franco Nero is off enjoying the success of his book about White Fang, White Fang himself witnesses John Stiener kill three Indians (including a kid) and then ends up with a boy call Bill. Bill at first calls White Fang 'Firebreath', although on my washed out copy it kind of sounded like he was calling the dog 'Fartbreath'. The boy and the dog bond, while Bill's granddad hustles for cash while looking for a gold mine everyone's searching for. The town is supplied by Forth (Steiner), who sells people supplies that can hardly keep them alive in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, a nun pegs Forth as the disguise of an evil guy (probably from the first film, which I haven't seen), but the local police are in cahoots with Forth, so Nero, the nun, Donald O'Brien etc try and figure out a plan to bring Forth down, which doesn't end well for several people. Before you know it, O'Brien's being fed to some dogs, White Fang takes the rap, and him and Bill have to head for the hills.
Another guy found frozen half to death by O'Brien spills the beans about the location of the gold mine (after having his frostbitten legs removed) and therefore everyone is racing to get to the gold. I'll say no more about the fate of the rest of the characters (not much of a spoiler for O'Brien's character, as I honestly can't think of a single film he survives).
What makes me think that this is intended for kids is the extent to which Fulci does manage to restrain himself. Ever watched Four of the Apocalypse? Here, there's not much gore, but still plenty of violent situations. Even with my washed out, full screen copy, I could see that Fulci was employing all his usual visual techniques, and you can go wrong with that roster of actors. Nero's always good, but between this film and Mannaja, I'm really beginning to appreciate John Steiner too. He makes an excellent villain.
One point that had me slightly worried was the words 'animals' and 'Italian seventies film' cropping up, but to it looked like they actually manage to make the film without harming anything, although I'm not sure how they managed the 'dog fighting the eagle' scene. Surely they couldn't afford to waste an eagle? I'm pretty sure they didn't, what with the quick editing and what not. If they had wasted an eagle, they would have lingered on it (and Fulci never seemed to steep as low as Lenzi, Deodato, or Sergio Martino).
Overall, good cast, good story, plenty of action. Hooray for Challenge to Fartbreath! This is Seventies Fulci gold, not late-eighties, bummed out by making horror films Fulci.
I agree with the only other reviewer on here - They'd never make a film like this these days.
Just look at the line up of actors for this one, however. You've got Franco Nero (Street Law, Enter the Ninja), John Stiener (Commando Leopard and Mannaja), in fine moustache twiddling evil form here, Donald O'Brien (Emmanual and the Last Cannibals, Ghosthouse), Werner Pocath (Days of Hell and Cat of Nine Tails) and a guy who looks like Al Cliver (House of Clocks and Demonia), but isn't Al Civer (Devil Hunter and White Cannibal Queen). Wasn't Al Cliver (The Beyond and Zombie Flesh Eaters) available? Also, Nick Alexander dubs about 70% of the cast personally. I haven't even got to the dog yet!
While Franco Nero is off enjoying the success of his book about White Fang, White Fang himself witnesses John Stiener kill three Indians (including a kid) and then ends up with a boy call Bill. Bill at first calls White Fang 'Firebreath', although on my washed out copy it kind of sounded like he was calling the dog 'Fartbreath'. The boy and the dog bond, while Bill's granddad hustles for cash while looking for a gold mine everyone's searching for. The town is supplied by Forth (Steiner), who sells people supplies that can hardly keep them alive in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, a nun pegs Forth as the disguise of an evil guy (probably from the first film, which I haven't seen), but the local police are in cahoots with Forth, so Nero, the nun, Donald O'Brien etc try and figure out a plan to bring Forth down, which doesn't end well for several people. Before you know it, O'Brien's being fed to some dogs, White Fang takes the rap, and him and Bill have to head for the hills.
Another guy found frozen half to death by O'Brien spills the beans about the location of the gold mine (after having his frostbitten legs removed) and therefore everyone is racing to get to the gold. I'll say no more about the fate of the rest of the characters (not much of a spoiler for O'Brien's character, as I honestly can't think of a single film he survives).
What makes me think that this is intended for kids is the extent to which Fulci does manage to restrain himself. Ever watched Four of the Apocalypse? Here, there's not much gore, but still plenty of violent situations. Even with my washed out, full screen copy, I could see that Fulci was employing all his usual visual techniques, and you can go wrong with that roster of actors. Nero's always good, but between this film and Mannaja, I'm really beginning to appreciate John Steiner too. He makes an excellent villain.
One point that had me slightly worried was the words 'animals' and 'Italian seventies film' cropping up, but to it looked like they actually manage to make the film without harming anything, although I'm not sure how they managed the 'dog fighting the eagle' scene. Surely they couldn't afford to waste an eagle? I'm pretty sure they didn't, what with the quick editing and what not. If they had wasted an eagle, they would have lingered on it (and Fulci never seemed to steep as low as Lenzi, Deodato, or Sergio Martino).
Overall, good cast, good story, plenty of action. Hooray for Challenge to Fartbreath! This is Seventies Fulci gold, not late-eighties, bummed out by making horror films Fulci.
I agree with the only other reviewer on here - They'd never make a film like this these days.