Cuteness of animals can’t save uninspiring The Wolf and the Lion

Live-action movies that focus on animals are almost by definition designed to be highly emotional. From Free Willy to Homeward Bound to the progenitor of the genre, Old Yeller, if an animal is at the center of the story, then viewers are virtually guaranteed to be crying by the end of the film. That’s the expectation at the outset of The Wolf and the Lion, in which Alma (Molly Kunz) returns home for her grandfather’s…