Soul Searching Traveler

One thing my hubby Jeff and I love to do before going on a trip is to find movies that feature the places we’re going. Here is our review of some of the films set in Alaska we watched in the weeks leading up to our trip. There are stars next to each title with five stars being the most possible. Enjoy!

Togo! ***** (Sara’s Rating)

Togo has been a long time favorite of mine because I love dog movies and true stories. In fact, one of the reasons I want to go to Alaska is because the scenery in this movie is absolutely stunning. I’m dying to go dog sledding so I can call out, “Good dogs, all!” and “There’ll be warm beds and full bellies tonight!” This is the story of how an Iditarod dog sled team helped bring medicine to an epidemic in Nome, Alaska during a storm. It’s such an inspiring story and sets the record straight on who the best dog really was – Balto is cute but fake news! You can’t watch it without falling in love with Togo, who has the heart of a champion, and his owner, Seppala, who is complex but loves his dog so much and is in such a difficult position. This one is good for the whole family!

The Edge (R) ****

This one was Jeff’s favorite. A billionaire (Anthony Hopkins) accompanies his model wife on a photo shoot to Alaska. It’s his birthday and he’s older than her, but it’s clear from the start he loves her. The movie was predictable, but we liked it. There were moments of adventure, action, and even heartache. Anthony Hopkins played a deep, almost poetic character, which he is perfect for. It had a surprise ending, which I won’t reveal here. It’s a good one!

Into the Wild (R) ****

I liked this one more than Jeff did. A true story will always grab my attention, and this one comes from a young man who left behind a journal of his travels, which was found and turned into a book then a movie. The young man graduated college and then destroyed all things that could be used to identify him before heading out into the world on his own seeking freedom. He eventually decided to go to Alaska and hiked into a remote area to test his survival skills. We were pulling for him all the way because he just seemed like such a great guy. I won’t tell you how it all turns out, because I want you to watch this one. I plan to read the book while we are on our trip.

The Proposal (PG-13) ****

Jeff and I both enjoyed this one – perfect date night movie. The main character, Sandra Bullock, is a publisher and sort of reminiscent of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. She’s not nice at all, and her assistant, Ryan Reynolds, is keeping up with her and warning other employees about her moods. She runs into an immigration issue and is going to be deported, so she just decides without asking that she and the assistant are getting married to save her job. He is a saint and allows this conversation to take its course. He takes her to meet his family in Alaska, and so many super funny things happen. I don’t want to give away all the details, but you can imagine how they start to fall in love. There are some great surprises in there. It’s a really fun rom com even if you aren’t going to Alaska.

The Guardian (PG-13) ***

We didn’t love this one – it was just alright. Kevin Costner teaches class for the Coast Guard candidates, and he’s bringing a lot of experiences so he teaches differently than others might. He’s a little more passionate and very serious about the work. One of the students, played by Ashton Kutcher, is self-centered and takes things more like a competition than a team effort struggles to build a relationship with Kostner. There were some action scenes in the oceans off of Kodiak. We just found it to be a little cheesy.

Sugar Mountain (R) ***

This one had an interesting story, but there was some low quality acting. It is definitely not for kids. Two young men have lost their mother and their boat which they inherited from her, was confiscated because they weren’t paying their bills. Jason Momoa is a bad guy, but it’s not his best work. The brothers owe him some money, and they are just struggling to stay on their feet. They concoct a scheme to get some money quick so they can take care of all their bills, but the police are onto them. If you have nothing else to watch, this one may work for you.

Hold the Dark (Unrated) ***

This one was a little weird. It was a good story idea and had some twists. A mother calls in a wolf hunter when she proclaims her child has been killed or carried off by wolves. The man comes to save the child but finds out the mother has pointed him down the wrong track. Other issues are brewing in the town, and he finds himself just trying to stay alive. Not rated, but not for kids.