Barnes & Noble

It would be easy to dismiss this movie about dogs stranded in the Antarctic as just another Disney wildlife film, not unlike those the studio churned out during the 1950s and '60s. But Eight Below is a rattling good yarn and not as kiddies-oriented as its trailers would have you believe. An expedition to the South Pole, commissioned by Dr. Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood), comes to an abrupt end and requires the immediate evacuation of everyone in the camp. Youthful guide Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is forced to leave behind the eight huskies that made up his dogsled team, forcing the canines to fend for themselves while he tries unsuccessfully to mount a rescue effort. Director Frank Marshall juggles two sets of characters -- humans and huskies -- and does an altogether admirable job. The efforts of the stranded dogs to scavenge food and keep from freezing are detailed with remarkable realism, and a combination of scene compositions, camera angles, and ingenious editing makes it appear that the dogs are communicating with each other. The human performers, for their parts, have the advantage of being given dialogue, and they make the most of it. As the film's nominal star, Walker does a better-than-adequate job, but secondary lead Greenwood nearly steals the show with his superior performance as the scientist who regrets leaving the dogs behind -- especially because they saved his life on the trip to the camp -- but sees it as the only real option. At times Eight Below is pretty grim, befitting the predicament of its four-legged protagonists, but all in all it's a stirring and uplifting drama that will entertain adults as well as kids. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Eight brave sled dogs search for the master who is looking for a way to rescue them in this adventure drama. An American geologist (Bruce Greenwood) flies to Antarctica to participate in a project at the United States Research Base, where he teams up with arctic guide Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) and his best friend, Cooper (Jason Biggs). The scientist soon discovers that Shepard also has eight other valuable friends -- a pack of sled dogs he's worked with for years, who have rescued him from a number of tight spots. As the three men explore a frozen mountain region, an unexpected accident coupled with a massive storm front forces them to fly to safety, leaving the dogs behind. Shepard is determined to rescue his canine friends, but he has to wait until the weather will allow him to travel back to the mountain, while the dogs struggle against the elements to survive as they attempt to make their way back home. Eight Below was inspired by a true story involving Japanese researchers exploring the Antarctic in 1957; the story was made into the film Nankyoku Monogatari. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 786936709902
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Language: English
• Time: 2:00:00
• Sales Rank: 1,383

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Disney Dogs Pack

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