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So what do they call dogs stranded in Antarctica during the winter? Pup-sicles, of course!
Eight Below is a very “Disney-ized” remake of a “based on true events” 1983 Japanese movie called Antarctica that is still one of Japan’s all-time top grossing films. Eight Below begins when a scientist (Bruce Greenwood) is determined to travel to a remote mountain in the Antarctica to search for meteorites. Since winter is about to set in, the only way to reach the mountain is by dog sled. The sled team is led by Gerry Shepherd (Paul Walker) and is made up of 8 very lovable and adorable Huskies and Malamutes. Against his better judgment, Shepherd and his team take the scientist to the mountain but have to return early because a huge storm is approaching. On the return to base camp, the scientist falls through the ice but is rescued by one of the dogs. Now, to save the scientist’s life, the group is evacuated to a hospital...all except the dogs. The plan was to fly back and get them, but the massive storm made the return impossible leaving the dogs stranded for the whole winter on their own without food or shelter. Paul Walker’s portrayal of a man in turmoil trying to someday return to save his dogs is pretty unconvincing. But, the amazing journey the dogs endure to survive alone is astounding. For over six months the dogs must ban together and brave the unforgiving elements of the Antarctica to find food, comfort each other, and stay alive until one day someone returns to rescue them.
The question in this movie is, of course, just “who let the dogs out?” Based on a true story, inspired by a true story, or whatever; the idea of lovable dogs struggling to survive a winter alone in the harshest place on earth is compelling. Unfortunately, as Eight Below demonstrates, actually depicting such a struggle onscreen is a challenge. In this movie, the audience has no real way of knowing or identifying with the emotions of the dogs. We know they’re probably hungry and cold, but are they scared, hopeless, lonely, angry, determined? We can only guess, because the filmmakers could not find an effective way to show us. Beyond this, the dialogue and story construction were mediocre; and, as for the acting, the canines definitely outperformed their human co-stars. While the premise was intriguing and the Antarctic scenery beautiful, there were just too many shortcomings for Eight Below to be interesting to most. Nonetheless, kids and devoted dog lovers may still find some redeeming qualities; just be warned, though . . . the ending isn’t happy for all eight of the adorable doggies.
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On the Movie Night Traffic Light on a scale of GREEN meaning “Go – it’s a must see”, YELLOW meaning “Caution – it’s okay” and RED meaning “No - stop don’t do it."
We rate Eight Below YELLOW. Caution – this one is just okay, but has some cute puppy footage and great scenery. |
