Nice effects though.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Blistering performances.

I saw this movie within the last few years and sadly is one of those films, that while not the worst I have seen...just didn't click with me. Yes, "Savage Sam" had a tough act to follow, and one has to keep in mind that it should be watched with the understanding that it was not intended to be another "Old Yeller". But due to several factors, in my opinion, this movie could have been a lot better.*There is confusion as to how Sam is related to Old Yeller. Is he supposed to be the now grown dog seen in the original "Old Yeller" as a puppy? Or did Yeller stud another female around the same time resulting in the dog seen in "Savage Sam"? Or was the spotted dog seen in "Savage Sam" a litter mate to the yellow pup seen in O.Y?*The acting, in my opinion seems lackluster. While Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran displayed amazing chemistry in "Old Yeller" and many of the other films they starred in together...they seemed to be "going through the motions" in this picture. *The story pacing was a bit choppy...often boring. Fred Gipson's book of the same title provides some background and imagery, helping to keep the story moving along. Seems to be missing here.*Finally, yes there were settler/Indian battles from that time era, but Disney did indeed paint Native Americans in an excessively evil light. Could have been handled better...this is where background and history of the conflict could have been developed a bit better.All in all, this movie is not unwatchable...but due to flaws which I have described, I think the movie is weak...despite me keeping in mind that "Savage Sam" is no "Old Yeller".

'Savage Sam' is the sequel to the ever-popular Disney film 'Old Yeller'. This film introduces a new canine hero, Sam. The boys have grown up now, and they end up being kidnapped by a tribe of Native Americans. It is up to Sam to help rescue them. I do not know how the story particularly ends, but this film was not nearly as engaging as 'Old Yeller', nor did it have the suspense and the emotional tear-jerking struggle at the end...or, if it intended to, it did not work. 'Old Yeller' is a classic, so it is difficult to create an equally good or better film, but this one does have its moments with providing some entertainment for the children. I would not recommend it unless you're really into these films and loved 'Old Yeller'...then, I suppose you have to see it.

I actually liked the book Savage Sam better even than Old Yeller. But the movie was poor and here are three key reasons why:1) Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, and Chuck Conners were missing, even though their characters (Katie & Jim Coates, and Burn Sanderson, respectively) were key in the book. They were replaced by an uncle who came out of nowhere, played by Brian Keith. It really damaged the continuity of the two films.2) Secondly, in the book Savage Sam was the son of Old Yeller, but in the movies this is obviously not the case. The puppy at the end of Old Yeller is clearly not a hound dog, and Sam is clearly not the offspring of a Lab mix like Old Yeller. The movie explanation of what happened to "Young Yeller" as well as where Sam came from? None is offered.3) Finally, and most important, too much time had passed between the making of the films. Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran were clearly too old to be playing the young Coates brothers by the time Savage Sam was made.Pity, because it could have been a wonderful film.

We all know that "Old Yeller" is a classic. It will always stand out as one of the best live-action Disney films of its time. With that said, does any kind of follow-up film deserve any attention? "Savage Sam" certainly does. It is another well made Disney adventure. Classic? Almost, but "Old Yeller" was a tough act to follow.I found "Savage Sam" refreshing because it made no attempt to be anything like "Yeller". Sam the dog is not a threat to anyone. In this movie, he is also not the center of attention. This story is different; Travis and Arliss are older. That's how it should be. Six years passed between the release of the movies.Brian Keith was great in this film. Here, he is supposed to be the younger brother of Fess Parker's character in "Yeller". I really liked him here.As another DVD in my Disney collection, everyone in the family enjoyed it. I give it *** out of four stars.