''Alpha and Omega'' is a 2010 American
computer-animated film directed by
Anthony Bell and
Ben Gluck. Starring the voices of
Justin Long
Justin Jacob Long (born June 2, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. Long is known for his film roles, notably appearing in '' Jeepers Creepers'' (2001), ''Dodgeball'' (2004), '' Accepted'' (2006), ''Idiocracy'' (2 ...
,
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Lesley Panettiere (; born August 21, 1989) is an American actress, model, and singer. She is best known for her lead roles as Claire Bennet on the NBC superhero series '' Heroes'' and Juliette Barnes in the ABC/ CMT musical drama serie ...
,
Dennis Hopper,
Danny Glover and
Christina Ricci, the film was written by Christopher Denk and
Steve Moore, based on a story by Moore and Gluck. This film sets around two young
Rocky Mountain wolves named Kate and Humphrey who fall in love with each other, but are on the opposite ends of their pack. However, when Kate and Humphrey learn that they got relocated to Idaho for repopulation, they must work together to get back to Jasper Park before a war slowly begins to emerge between both packs.
The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
on September 8, 2010, and was released nationwide in 2-D and 3-D on September 17, 2010, by
Lionsgate Films
Lionsgate Films (formerly known as Cinépix Film Properties) is an American film production and film distribution studio, headquartered in Santa Monica and founded in Canada, and is the flagship division of Lionsgate Entertainment. It is the la ...
. The film was dedicated to the memory of
Dennis Hopper, as he died from
prostate cancer four months before it was released, and this was his final performance prior to his death.
Although it received negative reviews, the film eventually turned into
a franchise of
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
sequels including ''Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure'', which was released on October 8, 2013. Another sequel, ''The Great Wolf Games'', was released on March 25, 2014. ''The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave'' was released on September 23, 2014. ''Family Vacation'' was released to DVD on August 4, 2015. ''Dino Digs'' was released on DVD and Digital HD on May 10, 2016. It was followed by ''The Big Fur-eeze'', which was released on November 8, 2016. The eighth and final installment, ''Journey To Bear Kingdom'' was released on DVD and Digital HD on May 9, 2017.
Plot
In the film’s opening, in
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
’s
Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park is a national park in Alberta, Canada. It is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains spanning . It was established as a national park in 1930 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Its locatio ...
,
Omega
Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/ isopsephy ( gematria), it has a value of 800. The ...
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
Humphrey and his Omega friends slide down a hill on a log. However, the plan goes entirely wrong as they try to maneuver the log down the mountain. Meanwhile,
Alpha wolf Kate practices her hunting skills on her younger Omega sister, Lilly, much to her annoyance. Humphrey and Kate join each other mid air, excited to see each other again. However, Humphrey begins to feel nauseated by their spinning, and the two fall onto the ground. As Humphrey tries to join Kate, Winston, leader of the Western pack and Kate’s father, stops Humphrey in pursuing her. He reminds Humphrey that Alphas and Omegas cannot mate according to pack
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
, and that Kate is going off to Alpha school until Spring. Humphrey looks on, saddened by her departure.
Spring time comes around, and both Kate and Humphrey mature. Humphrey and his friends seem to master the ways of log boarding, but their fun stops short when they crash into a rock. They then see Kate on her first ever hunt, pursuing a herd of
caribou. As Kate and her team close in on the caribou, they are interrupted by a group of two enemy Eastern pack wolves, which causes a
stampede
A stampede () is a situation in which a group of large animals suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are excited or frightened. Non-human species associated with stampede behavior include zebras, cattle, elephants ...
. As Kate saves the two Eastern wolves from getting trampled, the Western pack wolves start a
fight. Humphrey and his friends then break up the conflict. Later that night, Winston meets up with Eastern pack leader Tony, as they discuss the pack’s food shortage. The two then agree that merging the packs together would end their conflict, and decide that Kate should marry Tony’s Alpha son, Garth. Kate, overhearing their conversation, agrees for the good of the pack.
During the Moonlight Howl (the
howling
Howling is a vocal form of animal communication seen in most canines, particularly wolves, coyotes, foxes, and dogs, as well as cats and some species of monkeys. Howls are generally lengthy sustained sounds, loud and audible over long distances, ...
between wolves), Kate and Garth finally meet. Garth tries to show off his howl, but Kate is unimpressed and excuses herself. She then runs into Humphrey, but the two get tranquilized by
park rangers and are taken to
Sawtooth National Recreation Area
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) is a national recreation area in central Idaho, United States that is managed as part of Sawtooth National Forest. The recreation area, established on August 22, 1972, is managed by the U.S. Forest Se ...
in
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
. The two meet golfing goose Marcel and his duck
caddie Paddy. Kate and Humphrey learn that they were relocated to
repopulate the species, and agree that they must return home to Jasper Park before the two packs start a war. As the packs discover that Kate has gone missing, Tony warns Winston that if Kate doesn’t return,
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
will be inevitable. Lilly decides to show Garth around the Western pack’s territory until Kate returns, and the two fall in love.
As Kate and Humphrey catch a ride on an
RV, Humphrey has to
urinate
Urination, also known as micturition, is the release of urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, voiding, uresis, ...
and gets out while the vehicle pulls over at a nearby gas station. He then finds a
cupcake
A cupcake (also British English: fairy cake; Hiberno-English: bun) is a small cake designed to serve one person, which may be baked in a small thin paper or aluminum cup. As with larger cakes, frosting and other cake decorations such as frui ...
and eats it, as the frosting covers his mouth. Two men mistake him for a wolf with
rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...
, and they attempt to shoot Humphrey with a
gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...
. Kate then leaps out to save him, and the two flee.
Kate, disappointed that they missed their ride home, leaves Humphrey out in the rain. Now traveling alone in the storm, Kate comes across a dangerous ravine, which has begun to
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
. As Kate tries to cross it, she slips, and Humphrey comes to her rescue. Flattered by his bravery, Kate begins to admire Humphrey.
The following day, Marcel and Paddy find the wolves and direct them to a
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
heading to Jasper Park. Climbing over the snowy mountain, Humphrey finds a
grizzly bear cub, and the two play as Kate goes to scout a head. As Humphrey throws snow at the cub, the cub begins to cry, which attracts an angry trio of grizzly bears. As the wolves slide off the side of the mountain, Humphrey and Kate ride on a log and manage to board the train.
As the two joke about their encounter with the bears, Kate and Humphrey begin to bond even closer. Back at home, Lilly compassionately teaches Garth how to howl. At the same time, Humphrey gazes at the full moon and begins to howl, urging Kate to howl with him. Although it is against pack law for an Alpha to howl with an Omega, the two begin to howl, falling in love. As Lilly and Garth finish their howling, Tony catches them, and ultimately declares war on the Western pack. As the train passes by Jasper, Kate and Humphrey’s exchange of feelings is cut short by the sight of the two packs at war. As they return, Kate announces that she will marry Garth to unite the packs. The day of the wedding, a distraught Humphrey bids farewell to Kate, and decides to leave as a lone wolf, much to Kate’s disappointment.
During the ceremony, Kate backs out and declares her love for Humphrey, as Garth subsequently declares his love for Lilly. Tony, enraged, declares war on the Western pack, and a large fight ensues. Their brawl is cut short by an oncoming stampede of caribou, and Winston and Tony get stuck between it. Humphrey and Kate cross paths, and work together by log boarding down the mountain to save them. They succeed, but Kate gets struck by the caribou in the process. As the stampede subsides, Humphrey tries to wake up Kate to no avail. Devastated, Humphrey begins to howl, causing everyone to howl with him. Kate then awakens to everyone’s joy, and she and Humphrey confess their love for each other, as Garth and Lilly confess theirs. Winston and Tony abolish the law against mating between Alphas and Omegas, and accept a union of the two packs via
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
between Garth and Lilly.
At the Moonlight Howl, the wolves celebrate the love of Kate and Humphrey, and Garth and Lilly, breaking the social classes and traditions. The movie ends with Humphrey and Kate howling a
duet.
Voice cast
Production
Pre-production and post-production took place in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, with key animation produced by
Crest Animation Productions
Crest Animation Productions (formerly RichCrest Animation Studios, Rich Animation Studios and originally Rich Entertainment) was an Indian-American animation studio located in Burbank, California, United States. The studio's most well known work ...
in India and the script was written in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Steve Moore originally intended for the story to be more mature, but Lionsgate wanted the film to be aimed towards children, so the original draft of the script was rewritten.
Reception
''Alpha and Omega'' took in $2,288,773 on its opening day, and $9,106,906 on its opening weekend domestically, reaching fifth place at the box office. The film ended its run on December 2, 2010 after grossing $25 million domestically and $25 million in other territories.
It held the title for the highest-grossing animated film released by
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
until 2017, when it was dethroned by ''
My Little Pony: The Movie''.
''Alpha and Omega'' holds an approval rating of 19% on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
based on 57 reviews; the site's consensus is: "With bland visuals and a dull, predictable plot, ''Alpha and Omega'' is a runt in 2010's animated litter." At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the film has a score of 36 out of 100 based on reviews from 15 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.
Andrew Barker of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' gave the film a mixed review, writing: "Not without charm, Lionsgate's 3D animated pic is agreeably unambitious."
Sheri Linden of
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
wrote: "Abounding in dumb jokes that kids are bound to like but sometimes too scary for very young viewers, the movie -- also going out in 2D -- takes too long to find its footing and at best is proficient, not exhilarating."
Bernie Van De Yacht was nominated for an
Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting.
Marketing
Books
Three books on ''Alpha and Omega'' have been published by Finbar and Mindy:
# ''Kate and Humphrey's Big Adventure/All about Wolves'' by Rebecca McCarthy
# ''Alpha and Omega: Marcel and Paddy Save the Day'' by Tori Kosara
# ''Alpha and Omega: The Junior Novel'' by
Aaron S. Rosenberg
Video game
Published by Storm City Games, a video game adaptation called ''Alpha and Omega'', based on the first film in the franchise of the same name, was exclusively released for the
Nintendo DS on September 14, 2010 and was available in
North America and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, although certain copies have been imported in other countries.
It was panned for its poor graphics, bad controls, repetitive mini-games and lack of story.
Toys
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
released a line of eight toys for the film's release in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Release
Home media
''Alpha and Omega'' was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and
Blu-ray Disc on January 11, 2011, which included a coupon for
Great Wolf Resorts
Great Wolf Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of indoor water parks. The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, ...
.
Sequels
A number of
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
sequels to ''Alpha and Omega'' have been produced with none of the original cast reprising their roles outside of
Chris Carmack
James Christopher Carmack (born December 22, 1980) is an American actor, singer, and former fashion model. He is known for his roles in three popular television shows—the teen drama series '' The O.C.'' (2003–2004) as Luke Ward, the country ...
who reprised his role as Garth in the second film. Justin Long is replaced by
Benjamin Diskin
Benjamin Isaac Diskin (born August 25, 1982) is an American actor who was affiliated in Studiopolis, Bang Zoom!, SDI Media, Funimation, VSI Los Angeles, and NYAV Post.
Early life
Diskin was born in Los Angeles County, California to a Jewish fa ...
for Humphrey and Hayden Panettiere is replaced by
Kate Higgins
Catherine Davis Higgins is an American voice actress, singer and jazz pianist.
Career Music career
Higgins earned a degree in music from Auburn University in 1991. She is a trained pianist who studied with the jazz artist Bob Richardson. She rel ...
for Kate.
The first sequel, ''Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure'', was released on October 8, 2013. The film revolves around the disappearance of Runt, one of Kate and Humphrey's pups in the sequel. ''
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
'' stated that ''Alpha and Omega 2'' was "so thin and uninteresting, and so lacking in holiday spirit, that you're not going to be pulling this one out each year when the holidays roll around" and that the film's price combined with its film length made other film choices "even more attractive." ''
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. '' gave the film a 1 out of 5 stars and wrote that the "Faux holiday-themed sequel is weak and forgettable."
''Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games'', based on the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
and directed by
Richard Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...
, was released on
iTunes on March 4, 2014, and it was later released on March 25, 2014 as a Walmart Exclusive.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. gave ''Alpha and Omega 3'' a mixed review, with three out of five stars, writing that the "mildly amusing sports-themed sequel is fun for young kids." The film was released shortly after the
2014 Winter Olympics in
Sochi, Russia
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents i ...
, on which it is based.
''Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave'' was produced by
Crest Animation Productions
Crest Animation Productions (formerly RichCrest Animation Studios, Rich Animation Studios and originally Rich Entertainment) was an Indian-American animation studio located in Burbank, California, United States. The studio's most well known work ...
and distributed by
Lionsgate Films
Lionsgate Films (formerly known as Cinépix Film Properties) is an American film production and film distribution studio, headquartered in Santa Monica and founded in Canada, and is the flagship division of Lionsgate Entertainment. It is the la ...
. Written by Tom Kane and directed by
Richard Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...
, it is the fourth film in the franchise. The film was released to iTunes on September 23, 2014
and was released to DVD on October 7, 2014.
The plot involves Runt exploring the Saw Tooth Cave and finding a wolf who has been driven from her pack for being different. He must help her and he learns about the joys of lending a paw to a friend in need.
The trailer for ''Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave'' was released on July 21, 2014.
The film was officially announced in the DVD features of ''Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure'', along with ''The Great Wolf Games'', with director
Richard Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...
showing two short clips from the storyboards of both films.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. gave the film 3 out of 5, stating "Entertaining wolf sequel has peril and some scares".
The fifth film in the franchise, ''Alpha and Omega: Family Vacation'', aired on TV in Mexico on March 28 and was released to DVD on August 4, 2015.
It is written by Tom Kane and directed by
Richard Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...
. It aired in Mexico on March 28, 2015 before having its DVD premiere on August 4. The plot involves Kate, Humphrey, and the pups attempting to have a vacation together, but must flee from human wolf trappers in the process.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, stating "Adorable wolves take on trappers; some peril, suspense."
On April 8, 2015, three more sequels were announced for Lionsgate to distribute, the first of which was released in early 2016, and followed the "misadventures of Alpha Kate and Omega Humphrey and their three wolf pups, Stinky, Claudette and Runt, as they learn life lessons in the great outdoors".
On October 6, 2015, on Splash Entertainment's website, they have revealed the next sequel titled ''Alpha and Omega: The Big Fureeze'' along with sneak preview clips of the film, which was released in 2016. The other two sequel titles have also been revealed as, in order, ''Alpha and Omega: Dino Digs'' and ''Alpha and Omega: Journey to Bear Kingdom''.
''Alpha and Omega: Dino Digs'' was released on DVD and Digital HD on May 10, 2016. ''Alpha and Omega: The Big Fureeze'' was released on DVD and Digital HD on November 8, 2016. ''Alpha and Omega: Journey to Bear Kingdom'' was released on May 9, 2017.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpha And Omega Film
2010 films
2010 computer-animated films
2010s English-language films
2010s American animated films
2010 3D films
Animated films about wolves
American children's animated comedy films
American computer-animated films
American romantic comedy films
Films set in Alberta
Films set in Idaho
Rocky Mountains
Fictional wolves
Lionsgate films
Lionsgate animated films
3D animated films
2010 directorial debut films