Wow. Those eight dogs (about sixteen, actually, if you look at the end credits) really did carry the whole film. "Eight Below" is a well-crafted heartwarming film featuring spectacular performances from the canine members of the cast, as well as their human counterparts led by Paul Walker. It's also got a great story that might have been easy on paper (you've got main characters who don't have speaking parts), but most probably challenging on the part of director Frank Marshall (if training one dog is hard enough, imagine a lot more), who also directed a somehow related movie before ("Alive").
Gerry and his team of eight dogs of the National Science Foundation base in Antarctica are tasked to transport a scientist (Bruce Greenwood) in pursuit of a meteor that landed somewhere amongst the icy mountains. But major storms have prompted them to go back earlier than usual, and the scientist is injured along the way. This, along with the steady increase of the perils of the storm, prompt the evacuation of humans from the area. With not enough room on the plane, the dogs are left behind as the pilot, Katy (Moon Bloodgood), assures Gerry that she will return for the dogs. But the storm has increased in intensity, thwarting any attempt of returning for them. And for these dogs, they must rely on each other in order to survive the harsh conditions of their environment.
Now of course this is a Disney movie so it's most probably the movie will have a happy ending (not exactly in the way I expected it to be. Still, it's worth watching, because the characters - yes, the dogs - are so lovable and well-portrayed that in the end, you understand why Walker's character cares so much about them. Which reminds me, this is Walker's first film where I really cared about his character. And he did a great job too.
Another thing about films like this is the liberties taken with reality. For instance, no one would really know what happened to those dogs while they waited for more than a hundred days and who knows whether they had it easier in real life than that portrayed in the film. But that's a very trivial trade-off of reality when what's presented on screen is a great story that's both entertaining and touching.
It's a well-made family movie, which should captivate children and dog-lovers alike. But how the material is written and handled, how the dogs exhibit charm, and how complementary the sceneries and score are, add to moving emotions throughout the film.
Gerry and his team of eight dogs of the National Science Foundation base in Antarctica are tasked to transport a scientist (Bruce Greenwood) in pursuit of a meteor that landed somewhere amongst the icy mountains. But major storms have prompted them to go back earlier than usual, and the scientist is injured along the way. This, along with the steady increase of the perils of the storm, prompt the evacuation of humans from the area. With not enough room on the plane, the dogs are left behind as the pilot, Katy (Moon Bloodgood), assures Gerry that she will return for the dogs. But the storm has increased in intensity, thwarting any attempt of returning for them. And for these dogs, they must rely on each other in order to survive the harsh conditions of their environment.
Now of course this is a Disney movie so it's most probably the movie will have a happy ending (not exactly in the way I expected it to be. Still, it's worth watching, because the characters - yes, the dogs - are so lovable and well-portrayed that in the end, you understand why Walker's character cares so much about them. Which reminds me, this is Walker's first film where I really cared about his character. And he did a great job too.
Another thing about films like this is the liberties taken with reality. For instance, no one would really know what happened to those dogs while they waited for more than a hundred days and who knows whether they had it easier in real life than that portrayed in the film. But that's a very trivial trade-off of reality when what's presented on screen is a great story that's both entertaining and touching.
It's a well-made family movie, which should captivate children and dog-lovers alike. But how the material is written and handled, how the dogs exhibit charm, and how complementary the sceneries and score are, add to moving emotions throughout the film.