Film Reviews

Eight Below

• Rating:
• Director: Frank Marshall.
• Starring: Paul Walker, Jason Biggs, Bruce Greenwood, Moon Bloodgood.
• Details: US / 120mins (PG).

Despite his protests that it will be too cold for his team of huskies, Antarctic guide Jerry Shepherd (Walker) leads Dr. Davis McClaren (Greenwood) to a spot where a meteor hit. On the way back, the expeditionary team get caught in a storm and barely make it back alive. With the onset of winter storms heading their way, the team are forced to shut up the station for the season and, with no room on board the plane, Jerry is forced to leave his beloved sled team behind. Left alone, the eight dogs - Mya, Max, Shadow, Dooie, Shorty, Truman, Buck and Jack - scrap for survival by catching seagulls and eating the dead carcass of a killer whale. One by one, the dogs succumb to the cold while back in the states, Jerry tries to get an expedition team together to make a brave rescue attempt. This Disney movie starts off well - the majestic scenery of the Antarctic is truly breathtaking, it moves at a cracking pace and the daring rescue attempt of McClaren by Mya is an edge-of-the-seater - however, once the dogs are on their own it sinks into the Disney mire and turns into Homeward Bound or Lassie x 8. The dogs start communicating with, what looks like, telepathy; the handover of the lead dog status from Mya to Max looks like the last scene in The Godfather; while the winter months look a lot milder and pleasant than the summer months. Director Frank Marshall (Alive, Congo) tried to deflect the 'Disneyness' of the movie but the formula has a straight jacket that no one can escape from.

Review by Gavin Burke