I love this movie so much

A Masterpiece!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

We all have those classic movies about animals that we watched when we were little ones, and hopefully if you've got any senses about you, still revisit as an adult. Well, most people have a few of those... I've got at least like twenty. One couple of movies that are very dear to me are Shiloh, and Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season, two indisputable classics that I was pretty much raised on, and have a burning nostalgia for. Shiloh boils down to one simple, loving archetype: a boy and his dog. Or, rather, a boy who desperately wishes to save a dog from going down the same road of violence and abuse that it's currant owner has. Marty Preston (Blake Heron, and Zachary Browne in the sequel because they just can't stick with one actor) is a young rural lad with a wholesome life and family, wishing for a dog of his own. Local roughneck and hunter Judd Travers (Scott Wilson) owns a whole pack of mutts that he mistreats when drunk, and aims to turn them all into vicious hunting dogs. When one small beagle escapes, it makes its way onto Preston land and suddenly Marty finds he has a new best friend. His stern father Ray (inimitable Michael Moriarty) warns him that the dog is probably Judd's, while his mother (excellent character actress Ann Dowd) urges compassion from her husband. Soon enough Judd comes looking, and conflict arises between the boy and the bitter old hunter. It's a children's story so nothing too messed up ever happens, but there's some touching lessons and surprising gravitas from both Moriarty and Wilson that is nice to see from such a seemingly innocuous, kid oriented franchise. Judd shows beautiful complexity in the sequel, the writing allowing Wilson to illustrate that not all mean people started out that way, and that with a little kindness and a lot of patience, old wounds can be burrowed into and treated. I first became a fan of Scott through the Shiloh films and he will always be Judd Travers to me. Marty finds a friend in Shiloh, getting right to the point of what these movies are about: friendship. New friends, old friends, and letting people in who need someone and don't even know it. It's great stuff, timeless to be sure, and always guaranteed to draw forth a smile. Rod Steiger lends his famous kind streak to the role of Doc Wallace, a convenience store owner with sagely wisdom for Marty and his fellow friends, as well as compassion for Judd. Now, there's a third film, also with Wilson but yet another different actor for Marty, and Moriarty sitting it out as well, which is why I haven't checked it out so far. Maybe it's time.

Shiloh is a very sweet and charming film, and I guarantee that the whole family will love it. It has nice music, good acting and an above average script. Of course the pace is a bit slow, and the story rather thin in places. On the other hand, the music is absolutely beautiful, and Shiloh was absolutely adorable. The script was very touching and beautifully crafted, making this very gentle and moving to watch. Blake Heron is wholly believable as Marty, and I felt the connection between him and Shiloh. Scott Wilson gives a very good account of himself as the hateable yet sympathetic Judd Travers, and David Moriaty and Rod Stieger also give nice supporting performances. The cinematography was fantastic, even looking at it made the film twice as engaging, and the song Are There Angels? was sung by the ever lovely Sheena Easton, who has done some soundtrack singing before on FernGully, Pebble and the Penguin and the sequel to All Dogs Go To Heaven. Overall, a charming and heartwarming film, that the whole family will treasure. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Everything about this film is clichéd. From the one dimensional nuclear conservative family values to the animal rights message, this movie reeks of something that is 50 years past it's best viewed by date. From the characters to the plots, this film puts me in mind of a long Leave it to Beaver episode with a little more edge.But it's cliché after cliché after cliché... simply horrible. Even my 5 year old didn't like it.Acting, especially Blake Heron, was great, but the cast was let down by the plastic screenplay.I would have liked to have seen a little more subtlety, let the viewers discover things instead of just throwing so many clichéd images and lines of dialog at them. Kids are smarter than some give them credit for. Let them discover gravity by watching an apple fall, not by smacking them on the head with an anvil.

This movie was a cute movie about a boy and a dog that absolutely love eachother but the dog's owner is very, very protective of all of his dogs and doesnt want Marty(the boy) to have Shiloh, its a touching story and movie, i personally thought the book was better but dont take my word for it, go out and watch it for yourself!!!