Iron Will - January 14. 1994

Iron Will

Tagline(s): It's not a question of age. Or strength. Or ability. It's a matter of will.

Released: January 14, 1994
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Genre: Drama

Directed by Charles Haid
Stars: Mackenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey, David Ogden Stiers, Some Dogs

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Metacritic: Not rated

Budget: Unknown
Box Office: $21 million

Synopsis

Mackenzie Astin is Will Stoneman. After witnessing his father's death and discovering the financial plight of the family farm, he decides that the solution to their money problems is, of course, to take part in a dog-sled race from Winnipeg to St. Paul, Minnesota where a $20,000 prize awaits the winner.

Recollections

None

Review

This film has the adventure feel of 'The Journey of Natty Gann' coupled with the outsider sports film feel of something like 'The Air up There' with neither the charm of the former nor the complicated racial politics of the latter. 

Filmed during what was considered Disney's Renaissance period in animated films, and with the Lion King still to come in 1994, their live action output was still decidedly average, so much so that now Disney has put much of its emphasis in the production of live action movies on shot for shot remakes of the animated films from this era. 

Mackenzie Astin is a little bland in the lead performance and my enjoyment of Kevin Spacey in a supporting role is tempered by his somewhat recent allegations of being a sex pest. However, this said, it will still reasonably entertain a family with young children, even if it will not live long in the memory.

It very much feels like a Sunday afternoon movie where you don't mind being half distracted by your twitter feed.