{"id":25238,"date":"2022-08-27T01:19:32","date_gmt":"2022-08-27T08:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=25238"},"modified":"2022-08-27T01:19:32","modified_gmt":"2022-08-27T08:19:32","slug":"the-great-wolf-pack-a-call-to-adventure-global-premiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=25238","title":{"rendered":"THE GREAT WOLF PACK: A CALL TO ADVENTURE Global Premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure<\/em> will be available for a limited time on Great Wolf Entertainment\u2019s YouTube page (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCBxcWkwHMNZUZ8ZmpunhFWw<\/a>) beginning September 5, 2022. A trailer link is available here (<\/strong>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y9P1w2RluWE<\/strong><\/a>) <\/strong>
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Over the years, this reviewer has been to the odd movie premiere or two. They are typically impressive affairs that do a great deal to celebrate the hard work of those who have toiled on a project. And, some of the best even go so far as to temporarily transport the viewers into the world being depicted on the big screen. Admittedly, it can be a little awkward for a reviewer to waltz into such an event and pass judgment on the final result playing on the screen. But it does occur now and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days ago, I was invited to attend the August 23rd<\/sup> global premiere of The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure<\/em> at the Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove, California. This is an animated feature that serves as a tie-in to the \u201cGreat Wolf Lodge\u201d waterpark and it will be playing for a limited time on the site\u2019s YouTube page. As someone who only recently became a parent, I had never been to the resort but thought it would be a good opportunity to check the place out. In the end, I\u2019m glad I did and must give everyone involved in this premiere the highest of praise. The experience exceeded my expectations. It was a remarkably lavish screening, matching and in many respects surpassing the opening launches of the studio events I have attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wiley Wolf and Violet Wolf at the premiere. (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Great Wolf Lodge Entertainment)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While those familiar with the \u201cGreat Wolf Lodge\u201d will already be aware of this, the waterpark itself is something to behold, offering a lot of impressive water-based attractions for all ages within an enormous enclosed pool area. My child skewed towards the toddler area and lazy river, but there was also a wave pool, waterslides and plenty of elaborate attractions. Outside the swimming area was a set of nifty children\u2019s bowling lanes, an arcade, \u201cMagiQuest\u201d and other play areas.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A general view of atmosphere at the global premiere screening. (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Great Wolf Lodge Entertainment)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But on to the premiere, which truly was an opulent affair. No expense was spared, with the filmmaker, cast and crew, as well as other celebrity attendees (including the likes of Vivica A. Fox and Mario Lopez) appearing and lending their support. The screening room was also nicely decked out, delivering a forest-like feeling via foliage and clouds made from balloons. There was also a children\u2019s area near the front with blankets that reminded one of a campsite. As nice as the pictures included are, they really don’t do the presentation justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But for this writer, the biggest surprise came from an unlikely source\u2026 the \u201cCotton Candy\u201d area. When I was a child, the sweet product was simply wrapped around a cardboard stick. It seems that technology has advanced greatly since the 1980s. Using different colored spheres of cotton candy, the sugar artists were able to build and create phenomenal-looking heads of several of the characters featured in the animated film. They were, frankly, stunning to behold.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what about the main event? Well, The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure<\/em> follows a group of animals who meet in the wild and team up going on an adventure. They include loner Wiley Wolf (Brandon Winckler), Violet Wolf (Mary Aoki Tuttle) and the younger Oliver Raccoon (Ogie Banks), Sammy Squirrel (Xanthe Huynh) and Brinley Bear (Greg Vinciguerra). After being coaxed by the other main characters, Wiley agrees to join the quintet on their search for the Great Wolf Geyser. Together, they end up finding it and learning that it has mystical properties. The magical site ultimately chooses Brinley Bear as group leader because of his pure heart, asking him to listen, identify and help a figure in trouble. They all travel on the geyser to a strange new world and encounter all sorts of beasts both good and bad as they attempt to complete their mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, Wiley is a little miffed at not being chosen to lead, often jumping in unnecessarily and complicating situations instead of aiding his friends. This character has the biggest and most notable arc as he learns that being too arrogant and pushy can get in the way and be a hindrance. The other members all use their various unique, individual skills to help each other get the group out of trouble. Naturally, this is a children\u2019s project and the emphasis here is clearly on promoting teamwork and creative-thinking between the very different but individual characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The animation is quite impressive. Filmmaker Chris Bailey (co-director of the recent Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank<\/em>, and producer\/director of several episodes of the animated series Jacob Two-Two<\/em> and Kim Possible)<\/em> brings a very appealing visual style to the project. The characters and natural environments look great, as do the exaggerated elements in the mystical land below the geyser. Initially, I was concerned that the story might be a bit too soft and not include much conflict. Thankfully, there are a few memorable villains who do appear in the depths of the caves and create suspense. The rock\/mud creatures in the film are particularly distinctive and memorable, as are the various creatures who are featured as the characters determine what their goal is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure<\/em> is in part a commercial for the \u201cGreat Wolf Lodge\u201d waterpark. The geyser itself certainly reminds one of a waterslide and there is a lodge featured that bears some resemblance to the resort itself. Still, the branding isn\u2019t aggressive or as off-putting as in recent studio family films like Space Jam: A New Legacy<\/em>. And, one must always remember, a project like this isn’t all that different from how family entertainment juggernauts like Disney began. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And admittedly, it\u2019s hard to introduce five central characters and utilize them to their full potential in a roughly 40-minute story. But of course, one expects that the company is hoping to produce more and further develop these heroes. And while this reviewer was not intimately familiar with Wiley, Violet and the others prior to the screening, all of the animals and many of their individual qualities did stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall quality on display is very impressive. It\u2019s a positive, well-intentioned kid\u2019s story that is impressive on the eyes (even for adults). This effort serves as an entertaining animated debut for the protagonists. Perhaps most importantly, the completed feature did get an upbeat response from the young crowd. Kids who regularly howl at these characters will definitely find something to like here (there was a lot of baying from children and staff around the building at certain points, which I\u2019m told is a normal thing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of those involved in the premiere should also be complimented for treating all attendees so well. My family had a great time and my very, very young companion was excited and wide-eyed during the entire event (at least, until she passed out). And, it seems that I am now being growled at on a regular basis. So, at the very least, it seems that \u201cGreat Wolf Lodge\u201d have most definitely made a new little convert to their waterpark, resort and animated entertainment line. This youngster likely isn\u2019t the last new fan.
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The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure will be available for a limited time on Great Wolf Entertainment\u2019s YouTube page (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCBxcWkwHMNZUZ8ZmpunhFWw) beginning September 5, 2022. A trailer link is available here (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y9P1w2RluWE)  Over the years, this reviewer has been to the odd movie premiere or two. They are typically impressive affairs that do a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":25240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[209,1455,4236,7132,7283,8391,8608,16332,16941,20883],"class_list":["post-25238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature-articles","tag-209","tag-animated","tag-childrens-film","tag-event","tag-family","tag-global-premiere","tag-great-wolf-lodge","tag-premiere","tag-review","tag-the-great-wolf-pack-a-call-to-adventure"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25238\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}