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Cinema - Eight
Below (PG)
You’ve seen the penguins; now meet the dogs. Eight Below
is a modern day Disney epic, following the amazing journey
of eight sled dogs abandoned to their fate in Antarctica.
The plot is inspired by a true story and based on the hit
1983 Japanese film Nankyoku Monogatari (South Pole Story).
In this 2006 version, a risky expedition to recover a meteorite
(which has landed from Mercury) is undertaken by UCLA geologist
Davis McLaren (Bruce Greenwood), assisted by guide Jerry Shepard
(Paul Walker) and his dogs. A life-threatening storm forces
them to double back to base, a journey they only survive thanks
to the efforts of our canine stars Maya, Max, Old Jack, Buck,
Shorty, Dewey, Shadow and Truman. The scientists then have
to flee the base, leaving the dogs behind to fend for themselves;
something Shepard only agrees to after being promised the
dogs will be quickly rescued. The weather makes a return journey
impossible and the rest of the film is a suspense filled tear-
jerker as the dogs struggle to survive and Shepard makes increasingly
desperate efforts to get back to them.
Eight Below is directed by Frank Marshall, a man who knows
a thing or two about rugged survival movies having previously
directed Alive and Congo. His direction also makes a star
of the Antarctic wilderness itself, so even if you normally
run a mile from Disney’s emotional overload, it’s
worth watching just for the view. NW |
