Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild

Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild is a 2005 American-Canadian direct-to-video film directed by Audu Paden, created by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It was released on DVD in other countries in 2005, until it was eventually released in North America on February 21, 2006.[1] It is the third and final installment in the Stuart Little trilogy, but unlike its two predecessors, it is entirely animated.
== Plot ==
Before the events of Stuart Little 2, Stuart and his family and Monty (Rino Romano) who stows away in the car are going camping. When they get there, Stuart (Michael J. Fox) meets a smooth-talking skunk named Reeko (Wayne Brady), who is forced to give food to "The Beast" (Virginia Madsen) who is a cougar. Stuart and George (Corey Padnos) join the "Lake Scouts," which Stuart has trouble in. But Reeko makes a deal with the Beast, resulting in Snowbell getting captured by her, and Stuart goes off on an adventure to save him. Eventually, Stuart and his friends attempt to trick the Beast into falling into a trap covered with sticks and leaves, which doesn't work. Reeko shows up with a group of forest animals. Reeko taunts the Beast, and the Beast roars at him. Reeko turns around, yells a battle cry, and sprays the Beast with all of his might. The Beast is taken away to a zoo, and Stuart earns a gold kerchief at last. Reeko tells Stuart that he (Reeko) was wrong to betray him. Stuart bids farewell to his friends as he, George, Eleanor (Geena Davis), Frederick (Hugh Laurie), Snowbell (Kevin Schon), and Monty head back home to New York.
== Voice cast ==
* Michael J. Fox as Stuart Little
* Geena Davis as Eleanor Little
* Hugh Laurie as Frederick Little
* Corey Padnos as George Little
* Wayne Brady as Reeko
* Kevin Schon as Snowbell
* Virginia Madsen as The Beast
* Peter MacNicol as Troopmaster Bickle
* Rino Romano as Monty
* Tara Strong as Brooke
* Charlie Adler as Beaver
Forest animals and additional scouts are voiced by Garry Chalk (uncredited), Tom Kenny, Sophia Paden and Kath Soucie.
== Reception ==
Unlike the first two films, which were positively received, this film received generally negative reviews. James Plath of Reels.com rated it 2.5 out of 4, saying "Kids will still like it because the storyline is engaging, the color palette is bright and cheery, the songs are upbeat and pleasant enough, and the messages about good behavior, perseverance, and belonging are worthwhile."[2]Sloan Freer of Radiotimes.com rated it 2 out of 5, saying, "The quality plunges drastically in this uninspired direct-to-video sequel. Gone is the charming mix of live action and CGI used in the original two films, replaced by full animation whose flatness and simplicity is symbolic of the entire tale. Surprisingly, the core voice talent remains the same with Michael J Fox, Geena Davis, and Hugh Laurie wasting their efforts on a weak plot that sees boy mouse Stuart demonstrate his bravery when Snowbell the family cat is kidnapped during the Little clan's lakeside vacation. Undemanding humour, a sprinkling of mild peril, and the obligatory life lessons offer enough substance to keep the very young happy, but only the short running time will impress anyone older."[3]
== Home media ==
The film was released on VHS and DVD. One DVD also came with Peter Parker's Stuart Little key chain. It is also available to download on iTunes. The Blu-Ray release was released on May 11, 2017.