 |
| Director
: |
Frank Marshall
|
| Starring
: |
Paul Walker, Jason Biggs,
Bruce Greenwood |
|
| The plot of
Eight Below |
Brutal cold forces two Antarctic explorers (Walker,
Biggs) to leave their team of sled dogs behind
as they fend for survival. |
Eight Below
Review
|
Review by DENNIS
HARVEY:
The family adventure
"Eight Below" is an easy watch, thanks to
the splendors of frosty scenery and furry canines. Pic,
which follows eight sled dogs trapped in Antarctica
and the humans who try to rescue them, is an entertaining
story (but less so when bipeds are taking up valuable
four-legged screentime). The Disney offering should
do reasonable winter bizbiz, with better to come as
a home-format item.Pic is "suggested" by the
1983 Nippon feature "Nankyoku Monogatari"
(Antarctica), which was in turn inspired by real-life
events. The Japanese version was set in 1958, with two
human protags, and seven out of nine dogs doomed early
on. This version is set in the early '90s, with a single
principal human and a much happier ending for man's
best friends.The film, shot in Canada, Norway and Greenland,
marks prolific producer Frank MarshallFrank Marshall's
first bigscreen directorial effort since "Congo"
(1995); Marshall and his team do a good job suggesting
both the majesty and fearsomeness of the Antarctica
landscape.And while huskies may not be the most facially
expressive of dogs, they certainly are among the most
handsome; as long as the movie concentrates on the octet's
against-the-odds survival, the film is thoroughly engaging..more..
Review By Stephanie Zacharek:
I suspect that dog lovers everywhere are curious about
"Eight Below," the new Disney movie about
the relationship between an Antarctic guide (played
by Paul Walker) and his brave, loyal and heart-stoppingly
beautiful pack of sled dogs. The dogs, hardy creatures
whose thick coats allow them to sleep comfortably outdoors
even in temperatures well below zero, perform their
job dutifully and cheerfully. As Walker explains to
Bruce Greenwood, who plays a geologist who has come
to the Antarctic looking for some dumb rock, the dogs
will literally run themselves to death if you don't
tell them to stop: They live for their work.And in the
first third of the movie, director Frank Marshall and
cinematographer Don Burgess clue us in to the pleasure
and pride these dogs take in their livelihood: Harnessed
to their sled, their tails aloft like heraldic flags,
they bound through the snow with such intense concentration
that you can't help being exhilarated, and moved, by
them..More..
|
