dukeakasmudge After reading the description I thought this is a movie I have to see.I searched it on the internet & found out it was based on the same story Death Hunt was based on which made me want to see it even more.Let me tell you straight away, if you're expecting another Death Hunt, forget about it.This movie version is the complete opposite of what Death Hunt was.After watching it or what I was able to watch of it, I'd say skip this movie & watch Death Hunt instead.Challenge To Be Free reminded me of some of the Disney movies I was forced to watch as a kid (I don't know why but at the time I HATED Disney movies) I watched about 35 minutes & after nodding off a bunch of times,I gave up & let sleep take over.Normally I'd fight sleep but this time I just did not care.If you want to watch the family friendly version of the story, watch Challenge To Be Free.If you want to watch the adult version, watch Death Hunt.I don't know about you but I prefer Death Hunt myself

Geoffrey DeLeons I condemn the tone of this film. At every turn, it seems the writers; Anne Bosworth, Chuck D. Keen felt it necessary to drill it into our heads that the pursuit of this gentle man was necessary and warranted. I'm wondering if it escaped any viewer's attention, the fact that Trapper was completely innocent (first shot, which wounded McIntire, was from a misfire from his over-zealous partner's gun. The second shot, which killed the over-zealous cop, was in self-defense). Who, in their right mind, would start firing into a house (or cabin), because of a theft report?I am appalled that McIntire was hired to narrate the story, and was actually paid to recount the murder of an innocent man. In the context of the slew of shooting deaths by police, recently, in many areas of the U.S., Trapper's story is a warning of what could happen if we do not change our priorities, and restore our rights as citizens.Shooting someone in the back is NEVER legal...ESPECIALLY when it is done by those who are sworn to serve and protect. This film is a story of a travesty, sugar-coated to seem legitimate. Mr. McIntire should be ashamed of himself.., and should be arrested.It was great to see Mazurki as Trapper, though. Trapper seemed a righteous man.

Timothy Shary I really enjoyed this film when I saw it at the Saturday matinée during its release, and remember that experience vividly, but watching it now nearly 40 years later, I can appreciate that it has not aged well at all. This was clearly re-packaged to capitalize on the mountain adventure movies of the time, and to that end it has some gorgeous photography, but the story-- and especially the ham-fisted narration-- are just too hackneyed to bear. Even if it's based on truth, which the film clearly asks you to question, especially with its grossly fake documentary stylings, I can't imagine kids today would enjoy its slow pacing, stiff acting, and real animals. If you want to study it as an artifact of truly typical fare for the '70s, it does have its curiosities-- and for that matter, you could look at the "Benji" films too. But there's a reason why the "Benji" films are not considered classics, which is that they were simply bad. So is this.There are far better films from the era to enjoy, even for children.

Mad_Trapper This story has held a special place in my heart for the last thirty-one years. As a boy, I enjoyed stories of mountain men and the wilderness. Books like "Call of the Wild", "White Fang", "The Frontiersman" and "My Side Of the Mountain", influenced me tremendously. I wanted so much to live like a mountain man, but nothing inspired me more to do so, than when I saw this movie on television in 1975. I wanted to be just like "Trapper". However, as I got older I found I was just too domesticated to live like that. Nonetheless, I still romanticize about living that kind of life. I agree with some other reviews of this movie that the storyline has the simplicity that is quite prevalent in "Disneyisque" type movies, but if you can look past the mechanics in which it was made and see the heart of the story, the true themes, then I think you find yourself pleasantly touched. I make it a point to watch this movie once a year. After thirty-one years, I still get a chill running through me when I see torrent of snow rushing down the mountainside and hear the echoing, haunting laugh of the Trapper.-Good luck old-timer and stay free-PS If you want to read more about the true story, I found this link on the Mad Trapper of Rat River:http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/NWT/madtrapper.htm