Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I never thought I'd sit through the whole of this film which looked like an amateur project from the start. But I found it hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing. I'm pretty sure it wasn't intended as a parody, but that's how it turned out, at least for me. OK, the animals and the nature were attractive enough, but it had only the barest hint of a plot and very little acting, particularly by the adult "actors". The film makes me wonder what the point was in making it at all. Viewed as a project for film-making school it would be acceptable perhaps, but for worldwide publication???? I can understand that it will entertain small children, all that running around with a cuddly wolf pup in your arms and everything... It makes a very, very, very obvious statement, in favour of the carnivores and against the crooked sheep raisers that want to shoot them - there has been a lot of debate and conflict around this theme in Norway in later years. But to me, a supporter of the carnivore conservation cause, it was wholly embarrassing. Almost every scene lacks any hint of credibility and nothing much was stated other than the most blatantly obvious. I guess you cannot expect too much debate from a children's film, and children of course aren't so much in need of a credible plot, good acting and subtlety as older people. But I have seen children's films with those elements in them, so why not? It is possible. Try again.LEF

This comment might make you give up watching "Ulvesommer". This is not its intention: though many things might have been made better, it is still a movie you might watch, and even more let you children watch, and for sure it is not a must-to-avoid.Having read some informations about it, I thought it will be Norwegean version of "Misa mi". But from the first scene it appeared to be binding more to "Klatretosen", Danish family-action movie. Later, however, wolves finally appear, so I thought "Ulvesommer" to be a medley - only "Misa mi" was released after Norwegean movie. Anyway, among these Northeuropean movies for kids, "Ulvesommer" looked the weakest for me.In opening scenes we have a girl climbing, as well as in Klatretosen. Both girls are almost the same age, they both don't like cellular phones (Misa does, but spends summer in isolated region out of its signal range), both are not encouraged by their parents though both had fathers that were climbing in younger years; Kim's father (in Ulvesommer) even died after accident, and Ida's (in Klatretosen) has serious health problems as a consequence of his fall. Later, both girls risk their lives climbing extremely dangerous walls/rocks for generous purposes, one to save a family of wolves, the other to save her father's life.The wolf side of a story has similarities with "Misa mi", but Swedish authors avoided obvious rip-off more successfully. Though both wolves are female with little puppies, and both save girls' lives, "Misa mi" is settled in different environment and culture, and in many scenes there is a touch of surreal never appearing in "Ulvesommer".Also, supporting roles are completely different: though in both movies we meet people who fight wolves to save cattle, in "Misa mi" we see some balance (grandmother tells Misa that wolves have right to live, but people also have the same right and they must protect their food), while in "Ulvesommer" shepherds are more looking like obsessed hunters led only by enjoy of killing. None of hunters is Swedish movie is a born killer, while at least one of Norwgians is a real villain like ones that we meet in American movies. Compared to "Misa mi" this movie looks much more American, as one of (more and more frequent as years pass) European movies whose authors have American market in mind while shooting them.Movies with wolves can't miss with photography and their directors knew how to get most of it, while "Klatretosen" has great camera work and brilliant use of light and color.Julia Braathen didn't impress me half as Kim Jansson (Misa), not to mention great (but, yes, a bit older) Julia Zangenberg (Ida). Samuel Fröller was pale, but the script offered nothing (whole movie could have been made without him), and can't stand close to Per Nilja (from "Misa mi"), let alone to Stefan Andersen in "Klatretosen". Adult characters are again ranked (on my list) best in Danish movie. Line Verndal performs good, but there is again a scene so typical in modern movies (not actresses fault, of course): Cecilia hasn't taken much care for Kim so far, but finding that her daughter is in danger she, though horses always terrified her, not only jumps on one, but reaches Kim quicker than villains in the car.And one more note. North Europe is obviously a different world. While most of parents usually try to delay drinking coffee for their kids, Kim is offered coffee by her trainer, Ida is offered by her father (and she drinks it), and Misa is offered by her grandmother (and we understand that it's normal for three years old to drink it when you live near North Pole).

This is a very good movie for kids, the acting is very good, the wolf is awesome, and although it's "Lassie'ish" it does not suffer from a common Hollywood kids movie syndrome. I don't know why, but when Hollywood makes a movie about kids and animals they seem obsessed with making your kid cry. This Norwegian film will actually make your kid laugh, and you too, there is one sort of sad part but it's expected, and not even Kim cries in the scene.For some folks in the USA the subtitles might be a bit of a pain, but the movie is worth it. Don't expect to rent this one at your local video store though, if you want a copy you'll probably have to order one for purchase, but it's worth it.

This looks like the Norwegian version of a wolfy Lassie. And it all the cliches that could make it a predictable American movie. But it is not...and perhaps that is what makes it a better one.And Braaten makes a great debut here as Kim, the little girl who does what she can to save the wolf and it's puppy from three angry shepards. A true adventure it is...but perhaps in a smaller scale than you might would expect.