Man and dog in the Alaskan wilds

Mixing emotion and action, Heart of the Beast casts Brad Pitt as a retired special forces soldier who becomes stranded in the Alaskan wilds after his seaplane crashes. Director David Ayer, who directed Pitt in the 2014 World War II drama Fury, leads the way as a spare Cameron Alexander screenplay teams Pitt's James with another combat vet, his beloved dog Odin. Pitt's portrayal of a strong but psychologically damaged warrior proves convincing throughout. For his part, Odin's service in Iraq and Afghanistan has left him with titanium teeth and a prosthetic leg. James' only human interaction comes early when he reluctantly encounters a retired gold miner (J.K. Simmons) roaming the wilderness where James is camping. After an evening of beer and terse conversation, Simmons’ character departs, never to be seen again. While flying through mountainous terrain en route to his next camp site, James suffers a heart attack. The resulting crash leaves James and Odin (played by four German…