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Movie Review by The Gravedigger
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10.31.08
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Kevin Brophy portrays Lucan, a man who was raised by wolves and is found living in the Northern Minnesota wilderness by hunters when he's ten years old. He's taken to a nearby University and is raised there by Dr. Don Hoagland (John Randolph), who studies human behavior. Their bond grows and Hoagland is like a father to the wolf-boy. However, the University won't let Lucan have his freedom because they fear he'll "revert to wolf" and hurt someone (since the University is liable for him). In the pilot, when Hoagland has a heart-attack and may die, he gives Lucan his freedom. Out in the world, the young man gets a job at a construction site and gets involved in a father/daughter dispute, which involves that business.
When Lucan gets upset or angry he sort of "Hulks out" and his eyes turn yellow, which I guess are supposed to be wolf eyes.
In one of the eleven series episodes he goes back to where he was found in Minnesota and tries to save the life of the female wolf who raised him. He also finds a crashed airplane with two skeletons-- which may be the remains of his parents. The wolf does lead him to a clue, however, a hand-held watch that belonged to his father. In subsequent episodes he uses this watch to help track down his parents.
There is also a detective whose job it is to capture Lucan and bring him back to the University. Mid-season this changes to Lucan being wanted for murder, which escalates things. This ploy is similar to that used in THE FUGITIVE, THE PHOENIX and THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
In another episode a couple who claim to be his parents show up and he believes they are indeed his parents, which gives him a taste of the family he so craves. But things aren't always what they seem. In another story, he's coerced into boxing in Detroit, in order to pay a detective to help track down his parents. In another wolf related story, he comes across a caged wolf raised by humans, who he has to teach to be a wolf. This happens during a raging forest fire he's able to elude. And when he's in California he searches for a disappeared gold prospector who may have information about his long-lost parents. Throughout the episodes he gets help from Dr. Hoagland, who wants to make sure Lucan isn't caged.
This is one of my favorite TV series from the 70's, sort of like Tarzan in the modern era. The whole thing with him being pursued by the detective and him trying to find his parents is a little tiresome, but I suppose it gives him a "quest" to propel the episodes.
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Rating: nan out of 10.0 - 0 votes cast total
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