CORPORATE LINE: Inspired by a true story and the hit Japanese film NANKYOKU MONOGATARI, Frank Marshall’s (ALIVE, CONGO) EIGHT BELOW captures a rugged world of ice, snow, and threatening weather that few will ever experience in person. As a guide for a National Science Foundation Research Base in Antarctica, Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is perfectly content to spend his time exploring the wilderness with his sled dogs and goofing around with his best buddy, cartographer Charlie Cooper (Jason Biggs). Then UCLA geologist Davis McLaren (Bruce Greenwood) arrives at the camp with plans for a risky expedition: treacherous ice fields make his target destination accessible only by dog sled so late in the season. Soon Shepard, McLaren and the sled dogs–Maya, Max, Old Jack, Buck, Shorty, Dewey, Shadow, and Truman–are on their way in search of McLaren’s prize: a meteorite from Mercury.
Unfortunately, an approaching storm forces Shepard and McLaren to return to base early. The return trip proves life-threatening, but the dogs pull through, saving both Shepard and McLaren from certain death. The storm also forces the scientists to leave the research center earlier than planned, and there’s no room on board bush pilot Katie’s (Moon Bloodgood) plane for the dogs. With the promise that someone will return for them immediately, Shepard leaves his beloved dogs behind. Soon, however, it becomes apparent that the weather has made a return trip impossible. Can the dogs survive in the Antarctic wilderness on their own, or will Shepard get back in time to save them? The dogs emerge as the most intriguing characters in the story, each exhibiting a distinct personality and fierce loyalty. The other major player is the wilderness itself, a beautiful, mysterious world that is rarely depicted on film.
THE REVIEW: Since this is a Disney movie it’s tender and never offensive. Paul Walker isn’t a good enough actor to convince me he’d last two seconds in Antarctica. There are so many aspects in the film that are ridiculous that you lose count within the first half-hour.
Then again we must remember who made this film and what the target audience for Disney movies. If I could see the movie through the eye of a child it might not be so bad. Jason Biggs tries hard to make the kids laugh by acting like a goofball while Paul Walker does his best impression of a wall. That’s a low blow—but it’s hard to figure out why Walker keeps getting acting jobs.
The cinematography is the best aspect of Eight Below. The scenery is awe inspiring. Too bad the rest of the film doesn’t live up to its surroundings.
THE EXTRAS:
It’s funny that the extras are seemingly geared towards adults. Imagine a kid trying to sit through the two commentaries. The commentaries weren’t even interesting to me—imagine an eight-year-old trying to get interested.
“Running With the Dogs: The Making of Eight Below” – A ten minute featurette that goes into the training of the dogs.
FRANKLY: Eight Below is a movie for kids—I have kids and this movie did nothing for them. We watched it once and they never watched it again. And yet they’ve watched cartoons like Toy Story, Monsters Inc. etc a hundred times or more. Disney still hasn’t had much success creating new great live action movies from the past. Eight Below pales in comparison to Mary Poppins.
+ Charlie Craine
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