Benji the Hunted (1987)

Make sure you take the time to preview this movie before you show it to your young children. I haven't watched this movie since I was 8, but I am still scarred. First you see the mother shot dead, and then one by one they pick off the kittens. I cried through the whole thing. Why would they do that to children?

I'm 20 and this film just came on the day after Boxing Day, it looked like a cute easy-going Incredible Journey sort of thing so me and my Mum settled down to watch it and we were just blown away. I'd never heard of Benji so there weren't any expectations although it made it harder to understand the beginning. But I wish I'd seen something like that when I was a kid, and I don't care how different films are in the future - when I have children I will DEFINITELY sit them down to watch Benji the Hunted! The acting was frankly astonishing for a dog, and I laughed out loud when the little dark kitten went up to the bear and tried to growl. How they got a small male dog to run up and down and even climb cliffs with cougar cubs in his mouth I will never know. In short, a 20 year old and a 49 year old give this movie 4 big thumbs up and even Dad watched it all the way through, although he'd never admit to liking it

After re-watching the previous Benji movies I had a difficult time locating this one. I loved it and am actually glad I got to see this one last. It just may be the best one. It really is heartbreaking( and somewhat annoying) to read some of the negative posts about the Benji films because these people seem to be unfairly comparing the movies to the hit-and-run stuff that is cranked out by Hollywood today. That's right, Benji movies have no big special effects, no big stars, no foul language, etc, etc, but they have something more important than those things, they have a lot of HEART. Director Joe Camp has clearly earned his place in movie history with his desire to create family entertainment in these films and they are even now being regarded as classics. Deservedly so.

Truly truly remarkable filming ....would love to know how they got a male dog to cart around wild baby cougar kittens...totally fascinating! To see how they made this film would be awe inspiring! Many direct tv stations are now showing this film...its about time...the music alone is fantastic and right in rhythm with the events in the film. Benji is trained superbly!!...need more films like this....