weezeralfalfa The first of 3 episodes that follow the adventures and misadventures of the Robinson family, which consists of father Skip, mother Pat, 11 year old Jenny, 5 year old Toby, and Labrador Crust(strange name). In addition, mountain man Boomer and his mule are occasional guests in this and subsequent episodes. Some reviewers label Boomer as creepy. I didn't get that impression at all. Rather he comes across as a knowledgeable grandfather, who probably likes animals better than most people. Some reviewers complain that these episodes have little or no plot. Well, there are so many interesting things happening, that you don't need a complicated plot. The same is true of certain raucous comedies and some musicals. As in the other episodes, there is an alteration between disasters or fights, and periods of play and glee: a good format. I enjoyed the film for the most part. The shots of wild animals and the fights with some of these are spectacular. However, they didn't bring that much equipment and supplies with them, so I have to wonder where they got all that food and equipment ?Skip seems to have great familiarity with wilderness living. He seems indestructible, and brushes off any disasters or fights with animals as nothing to worry about. In contrast, Pat is often stressed out after a negative experience, and sometimes cries. Canine Crust saves or helps save the situation numerous times throughout the series.The family gradually adopts several animals as pets, beginning with a nosy raccoon. Soon, they are feeding 2 small bear cubs, whose mother can't be found. The kids discover a pair of cougar kittens which follow them home. Skip takes these back to where they were found, and has a fight with the mother, Skip aided by Crust.Crust has a fight with a bear, then 3 wolves at once, and miraculously survives these with only minor wounds. Skip scares the wolves away with several shots in the air. Apparently, he didn't want to kill them unless absolutely necessary.They make a pet of a friendly adult bear, but another bear: "(3- toes") terrorizes them. Maybe he's mad because he lost 2 toes escaping from a trap.Skip and Toby are nearly crushed by a boulder slide. Then, Skip's canoe capsizes when he's going to find a doctor, when Jenny runs a fever. If you or your kids enjoyed this film, you might check out "The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family"(Part 2), and/or "The Mountain Family Robinson"(Part 3). Yes, there is much overlap in what you will see, but each has some unique happenings, as well.

utgard14 A couple of hippies living in Los Angeles who were forced to grow up and get jobs when they had kids, decide they've had enough of the smoggy city and pack up their family to move to the Rocky Mountains. Once there they play with bears and befriend a grizzled old mountain man. That is, when they aren't running for their lives from wolves or a big grizzly named Three Toes.Ah, the Wilderness Family. Despite its laughable premise, it's actually one of the better of the "getting back to nature" genre of family dramas that popped up in the 1960s and 1970s, when the times they were a-changing and people thought by the 1980s the world would be overpopulated with unbreathable air and no natural resources left. Really, there's not much wrong with the idea of living the natural life and getting away from the crowded cities. But these movies were often so irresponsibly naive, treating living off the land like it' s a cake walk and there are just as many Disney-style friendly wild animals as there are ones that will kill you. Oh and they never talk about bugs. As anyone who has ever been camping can attest, bugs are the worst. Nature's PR guy should get a raise for keeping bugs out of the brochures. And I don't want to even get into understanding why these movies all seem to have old men wandering around the mountains being friendly with kids.Like I said, this movie is one of the better examples of this genre. At least here it is shown that you have to work to live in the wild and there are some dangers, unlike the completely unrealistic "My Side of the Mountain," where a kid goes to live in the wilderness and befriends animals and a creepy old guy who plays a flute. That kid had it easy but there is some effort made here to portray the struggle it takes to live in the wild, although this is still far from realistic. The cast here is decent, led by Robert Logan as the stubborn hippie dad and George Buck Flower as the mountain man. Corny hippie soundtrack oddly works. As always with these types of films, the best part is the scenery. No sets or cheap CGI fakery going on, just real grass, trees, rivers, mountains, and animals. It adds an authenticity to things missing today. Plus, who doesn't love a good view? This was followed by two sequels that are pretty much more of the same.

georgiasmum0 This is a feel-good, family movie of the television era of Little House on the Prairie. We watched a lot of crap back then and enjoyed it immensely. If you have no preconceived ideas of being thrilled and scared, and understand that this is a movie pushing why so many of us 'up and left' society and joined communes and built squat toilets escaping from the 'burbs'. My 11 year old thoroughly enjoyed it, though she too could see through it (and also see the microphone in heaps of scenes - delightful). We will now watch the second one and be just as delighted, entertained and taken back to a simpler time. Not just in the movie, but remembering the seventies in general.

triple8 So many bad reviews! Why? I loved this as a kid-OK so maybe now it's not my favorite but being that this movie stayed with me as a kid and helped fuel my interest in movies I'd say there was plenty of good to this.What I liked best about it was the adventure. In these times, a movie like this would never be made at all, or at least not without computer generated monsters chasing the family and lots of car chases. The best thing about this movie is it's earthiness and tranquility. The feeling of being in the middle of nowhere-I can appreciate all types of environments but there is something so beautiful about being in the country when it's perfectly still with just yourself and the environment. In this movie that feeling is created beautifully, it touches the nature and quiet, country feeling. The scenery and country feeling created is beautiful.It is also not boring at all as this family struggles to make it out in the middle of nowhere.Lots of wildlife and lots of Action packed adventure.Lots of adversities to overcome. And as mentioned, the cinematography is great-you'll feel like your out there in the wilderness too!I'm not saying this is the best movie in the world-but for those who can appreciate a story revolving around a family and their struggles out in the wilderness it's great. I was enamored as a kid. I wanted to be out there with them! I think this is a good movie and would give it at least an 8. Of coarse it wont appeal to everyone but shouldn't be forgotten either.