Eight Below (2006) User Reviews

Surprisingly good

[Chuck-156 · 8/10 · 18 February 2006]

I went begrudgingly to see this film with my daughter. It was not on my list of films to see but she insisted. Knowing that it was a Disney product only made me dread it more. The schlock they try to pass off as good films these days is ridiculous. The only up-side I could see was the director, Frank Marshall. He has produced some of my favorite films. Let's see what he can do behind the camera.

Pleasantly surprised I think is a good term for my reaction. Although the film was about 20 minutes too long, it did sustain the action and drama all the way through. I knew the basics of the story: a team at a base in Antartica must evacuate and cannot take the sled dogs with them. Winter sets in and the dogs are forced to survive on their own in the brutal cold for months.

The dogs are very entertaining and their scenes with the science team are warm and amusing, even thrilling. Where I expected the film to fail was after the humans and dogs separate. Amazingly though, this is where the Mr. Marshall seemed to kick it into gear. Watching the opposing scenes unfold of the guilt-ridden Paul Walker frantically trying to find anyone to help him get back down to the Antartic, interlaced with the Huskies who are struggling through the rough winter, scrounging for food and defending each other from predators, was very emotional.

While the film is a grade A survival pic, I hadn't expected it to be such a tear-jerker. Be forewarned. Although the human performances (Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood and the necessary romantic lead, Moon Bloodgood) were mediocre at best, the canine actors really do steal your heart.

No Oscar material here, but as far as family films go these days, this one is above par. Grade: B

Wonderful moving movie for dog lovers of all ages

[jbs3005 · 8/10 · 19 February 2006]

Believe it or not I took my 22 month old granddaughter to see this movie while my older children were viewing another movie, I was so happy when she spent the entire 120 minutes engrossed in this film! I found myself in awe of the filmmakers who captured such beautiful pictures. The dogs were wonderful and the movie inspired me to research the true story. Which I found out actually happened in 1958 and they were Japanese explorers. The dogs who survived are actually heroes in Japan with statues to commend them! Even though I hate the cold...a trip there to see the beauty would be on my list if I were rich! Take a Kleenex or two because this move is sure to it draw a few tears. Excellent film for dog lovers, adventurers, dreamers or just those who love the beauty in nature!

Adventures and animals on spectacular outdoor locations

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 12 May 2006]

The movie deals with an adventurer (Paul Walker) along with a scientist (Bruce Greenwood) looking for meteor stones . Under the unfortunate circumstances they must leave their pack of wolf-dogs behind on a frozen landscape in the Antarctic . The film concerns on the Huskies' subsequent fight for survival . This is an epic saga of survival against the wilderness of the Antarctic . The first part of the movie is developed between Paul Walker and his companion Bruce Greenwood and the second part the dogs must face the harsh ice and struggle to stay alive in the great white south .

It's a simplistic and agreeable fare with heroes but no villains . This is a politically correct and wholesome family story compliments of Walt Disney or Touchstone studios . Kids will love it and there are plenty of Huskies to achieve required factor . Besides , the comic relief at charge of Jason Biggs . Beautiful scenery filmed on mesmerizing location by cameraman Don Burgess (Spiderman , Terminator 3) , he's Robert Zemeckis's usual cinematographer . Spectacular and sensational musical score by Mark Isham . The motion picture was well realized by Frank Marshall (Congo , Arachnophobia) who also directed another survival drama titled ¨Alive¨. The movie is a remake to ¨Antarctic¨ (Koreyoshi Karahara) a Japan film with Ken Takakura and Vangelis soundtrack . Rating : Better than average . Fun for the entire family .

You don't expect the dogs to start talking!

[tohu · 7/10 · 30 October 2007]

This is an extraordinary - and very enjoyable - film, based on a true story about a group of huskies and the people who work with them. But if that sounds like a familiar formula, don't be fooled. This is quite unlike any other film you will see this year.

The dogs, of course, steal the show. You probably need to be a dog-lover (as I am) to enjoy it properly - but I would stick my neck out and say that non dog-lovers should also see it. What is extraordinary is that, as you watch the huskies inter-act with each other, you actually understand what is going through their minds - and yet very rarely does the director slip over into the trap of 'humanising' their emotions. It would have been very easy to make this like an overly 'cute' kind of Disney movie, but that trap is avoided. The film is perhaps a little too sentimental at times, but not once do you expect the dogs to start talking!

As for the humans, Paul Walker is developing into a very good movie actor, and Jason Biggs is always good fun on screen. The film is as much about human loss, fears and emotions as it is about canine intelligence. It also tells you a thing or two about what life is like in a remote Antarctic outpost.

I'd certainly recommend this movie to anyone searching out a couple of hours worth of entertainment. Oh, and there is one moment in the film which is genuinely terrifying: it'll make you jump out of your skin. I'll say no more about that except you'll know it when you see it (You have been warned!)

It's about the dogs.

[PWNYCNY · 9/10 · 15 March 2006]

The acting in this movie is weak. Now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you why this film is worth watching: the outdoor photography and the dogs. This movie contains some of the most impressive outdoor cinematography that one can hope or expect to see in a Hollywood movie. This movie shows the awesome and forbidding beauty of icebergs, ice flows and glacier-covered mountains. Compared to these magnificent edifices of nature, man is rendered almost utterly insignificant, a mere dot in a wilderness of ice that is almost endless. Indeed, the scenery is spectacular. That's one interesting part of the movie. But the main part of the movie are the dogs - eight of them. This movie offers a wonderful story about eight brave and stalwart creatures that are determined to survive in the polar wilderness. Having been abandoned by their owner, the dogs must fend for themselves, and they do so, by staying together, working as a team, looking out for each other and caring for each other. They set an example for us humans to follow. That's why this is a movie that's not about us, but about those wonderful dogs.

Been there Done that

[itskita · 7/10 · 13 March 2006]

Good movie--However, I have been to Antarctica for 2 1 year stretches and a lot was embellished in the movie...of course to make it plausible to the masses. You would never see the sun during the Antarctic winter. It is dark down there--the sun dips below the horizon in late March and does not come back until August. BUT I guess Hollywood would have had a hard time filming in the dark, right?? I've actually been to Bailey's in Cheech (Christchurch) and that looked authentic. SO did the outside of the hospital in McMurdo. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants a better understanding of life in the field camps down there--some of it was true but the majority of it was well thought by the makers of this film!

AMAZING STORY....one of the best of the year

[moonlightprincess-1 · 10/10 · 27 February 2006]

Just getting back from seeing 8 below, i am completely blown away by several elements. Firstly, right away you get glimpes of STUNNING scenery that continue throughout the whole film. Beautiful artic landscapes frame the main story line and on the big screen, it really takes your breath away. The movie also is really able to give anyone an idea of what its like to be in the artic, and really gave a clear picture of what being an explorer was like. This added to the appeal of the movie, because its not something most of us get to experience. Although the acting has been in some cases been criticized, I believe the actors fulfilled their purpose within the movie. They were able to play their roles, without distracting from the dogs, which of course, is the most important part. Paul Walker clearly comes across as a strong animal lover, and displays this well. He becomes relatable to any animal lovers, who will utimatly love this movie. As for the others, the fulfilled their jobs, which is what matters. The character of "Cooper" gave great comic relief, and "Katie" acted out the predicable love story line well. But of course, the most important aspect of this movie was the dogs. I can hardly even begin to describe what a wonderful job they did. The tricks preformed (as a dog lover and trainer) were some with great difficulty. Ultimately, the way the dogs interact with each other and are so compassionate, you really connect with them. The only way to really experience this is to GO. the movie is AMAZING and a wonderful family film. Although a part or two may be slightly scary, its still an amazing picture for ALL to enjoy, it completely blew all of us a way.

They should have said: "Based On Science Fiction"

[mendy66 · 17 September 2006]

Poetic license is some thing, but changing reality to make an absolutely impossible story seem plausible is another. The writers obviously need better advisers about Antarctic travel. Here are just a few of the errors. They show the dogs running when pulling the sled. They would kill them in short order. Real sleds dog simply walk at a very fast pace bordering on a trot. Real Antarctic travelers don't try to travel through storms. They just wait them out in a nice warm tend. Now lets get into science fiction. Bruce Greenwood falls through ice into water. Where exactly would you find water on Antarctica? The ice is several thousand feet thick. (While on the subject of water, where exactly did the dogs find any water to drink?) There are no birds in the interior of Antarctica in the winter and none even on the coast in winter. But lets get to the biggest absurdity bright sunny days in June and July. Huh? There is almost 24 darkness at that time of year. I hate it when they claim that a story is based on reality and the present something that is obvious complete and utter fiction. Am I missing the point but dewelling on these gross distortions of anything faintly resembing reality? Well, if you have a story that consists of nothing more than contrived emotional manipulation using a pack of dogs, you could at least get give the setting and circumstances some semblance of reality rather than turning the world upside down to confirm.

An Amazing Story Of Survival and Friendship

[Lady_Targaryen · 7/10 · 2 April 2007]

Jerry Shepard works as a guide at an Antarctica research base under contact with the National Science Foundation, as well a dog trainer. He loves his dogs more then anything else and is a dedicated trainer. One day, after an expedition with Dr. Davis McClaren to attempt to find a rare meteorite from Mercury, things go wrong, and Jerry and his colleagues has to leave the polar base, not only because Dr. McClaren will die if he doesn't have special medical assistance, but also because the proximity of a heavy snow storm, since the Antarctica's winter is coming. He goes against his wish, but only if someone agrees to rescue his dogs after it. When he is back in U.S.A., the mission to rescue his dogs is canceled. Now, the poor dogs will need to survive by their own in the cold Artic winter, the worst and most evil winter of the world.

''Eight Below'' is one of the cutest Disney's movies I watched in these last years. Not only the fluffy dogs, but also the love of the dog trainer for them, is very touching. Of course, there are things they used in the film, that I hardly imagine dogs doing ( like their strategy to take the birds or to eat the whale...honestly,I have sincere doubts about the dogs planning such a complex attack for themselves..but since I am not a dog trainer or scientist, I will not talk about these points). The fact that this movie was based on a Japanese expedition in 1958 is another surprise, since we think about the real dogs in the Antarctica's cold. But I imagine that their real trainer and team were not so worried with them as the movie shows.

Ps: That Leopard Seal is scary!

Wonderful, Enjoyable Family Movie

[armaniroma · 10/10 · 11 February 2006]

Where do I start? Throughout the movie I couldn't help think about the great dog training. The Huskies were all wonderful and the stars of the movie. I realize that Eight Below is inspired by a true story, but the movie is well written and the story hands together from beginning to end. By the way, my wife and I have two Huskies. We were both teary eyed through much of the movie as were other movie goers. But you don't have to have Huskies or dogs as pets to enjoy this movie. No gratuitous sex or violence, no profanity, but a heart tugging story of survival against all odds. The scenery was beautiful to experience on the big screen, the acting is good and this is a great movie for the entire family. I can't wait to see the movie again. It's a wonderful, clean, wholesome family movie.

Gripping drama, although sanitized

[xredgarnetx · 7/10 · 18 June 2006]

8 DEGREES is the Disney-fied remake of a Japanese movie based on a true story about eight sled dogs left behind in a killer storm. When the folks got back to them many months later, only two were still alive and the fact that any were left alive was pretty damned amazing. In Disney's family-friendly version, those numbers are reversed, and only two perish. I guess they figured the truth would be too much to bear, and to be fair they're probably right. They also couldn't resist having the animals perform and think like humans at times, but at least they don't have them talking in the Queen's English to each other. The dogs themselves are adorable, and Paul Walker is convincing enough as their conscience-stricken boss as he tries desperately to get back to them. Bruce Greenwood is a sympathetic scientist. Jason Biggs plays Walker's geeky sidekick, akin to Archie's Jughead. The "arctic" vistas (with Greenland, Norway, Canada and stage sets standing in for Antartica) are absolutely breathtaking, so mush so that you will be left asking, "How did they film that?" A making-of segment on the DVD explains all. Let's put it this way: It wasn't easy. I was left wondering how it is Bruce Greenwood ended up starring in movies with the titles "Below" and "8 Below." Unfortunately, that is not explained here.

Fun filled heartwarming story for all ages

[diabloc4 · 10/10 · 20 February 2006]

Beautifully orchestrated spin off of the movie Antartica which was done in 1983. I thought the photography was great and the terrain that was shown for the locations is much like the Antarctic.

What made the movie extra special for me was the fact that I wintered over in the Antarctic in 1958 and was there when the Japanese came back to the Showa Base and found the 2 dogs that had survived the past 12 months. Very incredible and heartwarming story. There is a monument to the dog team in the form of statues at the base of the Tokyo Tower to honor them. I was fortunate to see it in 1992.

The dogs in Eight Below were so well trained and you form an immediate bond with them. The movie can be seen and enjoyed by all ages. A must have for my film library.

Nowhere as good as the original Japanese film

[njlionstorm · 7/10 · 1 August 2006]

With all of the technical advances that are used in movie making today, I looked forward to watching "Eight Below", which unfortunately turned out to be a so-so Hollywood rip-off of the award-winning Japanese film, "Nankyoku Monogatari" (aka "Antarctica"). Disney turned a grim drama about abandonment and survival into bland, feel-good fluff for the masses, complete with an unnecessary romantic subplot, and equally unreal main character who is willing to singly go on a suicide mission to find his dogs.

What actually happened was this: while on expedition, two Japanese researchers, Ushioda and Ochi, released their two lead sled dogs (Taro and Jiro) in hopes that the dogs would understand that they had to seek out and bring back a rescue party. And that is just what the dogs did: they found the main base and led a rescue team in the nick of time to save to Ushioda and Ochi from certain death.

Afterwards, Ushioda and Ochi left behind 15 sled dogs for use by the people of the next scheduled expedition that was supposed to arrive the day after Ushioda and Ochi evacuated back to Japan. But the other expedition never arrived, having been cancelled. Ushioda and Ochi learned of this terrible turn of events after they arrived back in Japan, but could do nothing and had to wait a full year to participate in the next Antarctic expedition. In the meantime, seven dogs froze and/or starved to death while chained to the line. Six others broke free, but no one knew what fate became them because they were never found. Taro and Jiro survived to be rescued were: they were only dogs the men had not left chained to the line.

Those true events were faithfully and magnificently immortalized in Japanese filmmaker Koreyoshi Kurahara's 1983 "Nankyoku Monogatari" (a.k.a. "Antarctica"), (available only on VHS). Kurahara's film won top prize at the Japanese Academy of Film Awards and was Japan's 2nd highest grossing film-to-date. It was also nominated for top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. The original is a "MUST SEE" for all animal/nature lovers and I hope will one day be released on DVD.

Good Dogs....Very Bad Humans

[bluesboy-3 · 2/10 · 18 July 2006]

Eight Below is a tragedy to the human spirit and a disservice to man's best friend. I have six dogs and it is incomprehensible that the sled guide: 1) Left his beloved dogs behind chained down to the ground, 2) Left his beloved dogs behind to face the Antarctic winter alone without food, without shelter, without their master, 3) Let his girlfriend off the hook way to easily for breaking her promise to return for the dogs, (you're only a couple hours away!), and 4) Let the sponsor off the hook, even after the dogs saved HIS life.

And by the way director, it's not very sunny in the Antarctic in their winter, and, the surviving dogs didn't lose any weight at all and looked in perfect condition having weathered the worst arctic winter in history.

The humans in this movie displayed no honor and Disney once again played to cheap emotions of people (and apparently many reviewers) who are obviously living in La La Land. Only the dogs have honor here.

Science and The Artic Dog

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 28 April 2007]

Anyone searching for an animal picture with heart and soul, well, you've just found one. This story is based on the Japanese expedition in 1958. The weather conditions then became so severe it forced the scientific team to resort to choices which were nothing short of barbaric. In that scenario, men who had come to depend on their chief mode of transportation and protection, reduced the sacred status of their transport dogs into flotsam. The second sin any expeditionary group can do and would certainly not even dream of doing to humans is to abandon them to the elements. This tragic story does precisely that. The expedition, (which include Paul Walker as Jerry Shepard, Jason Biggs as Charlie Cooper and Moon Bloodgood as Katie) is of a scientist Dr. David McClaren, (Bruce Greenwood) who journeys to the Artic to search out, find and recover a rare meteorite. The task is accomplished, but then the Arctic winter develops into a blizzard and becomes a life and death situation which forces the team to abandon their trusted and beloved dogs to survive on their own. What transpires is nothing short of miraculous. The dogs must not only endure the brutal and unforgiving weather, but to encounter and survive all the hostile elements which nature and her fury will hurl at them. As a result, this becomes a touching film for anyone wishing to enjoy the powerful and emotional ties between man and animal. ****

A throw back to the Disney adventure films of old

[dspeas · 10/10 · 20 February 2006]

This film is one that I found I could sit back and enjoy the scenery, the stark beauty of the Antartic, and the personalities of the dogs and humans.

I do wolf education with my husky-wolf mix and it was exciting to see the dogs use their strong senses to survive in the harsh land. Their loyalty to the family mirrored that of a wild wolf pack and showed where the intelligence of domestic dogs was honed and refined in the long ago battles of survival.

Huskies and Malemutes look at home in that element because they were bred to work and survive in like conditions. These two near primitives could really do what these actors did and survive. It was refreshing to me to see humans show the same dedication and love for the dogs that dogs give to their human family members every day. It would be hard for actors to really be able to show all that those of us who treasure our dogs would feel if we had to leave them behind but he did a credible job.

I am glad to have been able to see this movie and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did IRON WILL and his huskies.

"You Can't Go Into This Film Expecting Not To Cry"

[Matt_Layden · 7/10 · 17 March 2006]

With major snow storms heading their way, Antartic exploring teams must leave their team of sled dogs behind as they fly off for their own survival. Jerry, feeling very distraught, tries everything he can to go back and bring those dogs back.

Inspired by a true story, Eight Below tells the magnificent story of survival of a team of sled dogs who were left behind in a major snow storm. I can watch films in which people lose their limbs, such as KILL BILL. But if any movie where an animal is in danger, I tend to get a little tear trickle down my face. Eight Below takes this idea and pushes it to the extreme. The dogs are so cute, kick-ass, adorable, courageous and lovable, you can't go into this film expecting not to cry.

Paul Walker is upstaged by these dogs, and Jason Biggs is upstaged by Paul Walker. With saying that, you shouldn't see this movie for those two actors, one of which I didn't even know was in this film. The dogs are the main focus of the story and even though you know that one or two dogs WILL die, you can't help but feel the tears build up inside when you see it on the screen. Watching the trailers, I knew that OLD JACK was going to die, his name is OLD JACK for crying out loud. It's even emotional for the death of the one dog, who's name I couldn't even remember. That doesn't mean that you don't connect with him, you do see the significant scar on his eye.

Watching the dogs on the screen made me very fearful for their fate. Every second that went by, I was praying that they would not get into any danger. Of course whenever they were, especially regarding an evil seal, I was on the edge of my seat. Eight Below is a Disney film that aims for an older audience then Disney would usually shoot for. It has many tearful scenes, many gross-out scenes and one that I'll admit, made me jump.

Marshall manages to keep the tension throughout the film, even when we are not with the dogs. Our hearts are still with them, but we are watching Walker teach some kids how to kayak. Eight Below contains some beautiful cinematography and it uses it's surroundings very well. The ice top mountains and star filled sky are beautiful.

The film a little lengthy, it feels like two different films in one, the second half being the more intense, emotional, heart-warming half. It was hard to be fully enjoying the movie in a theatre packed full of timid kids who are grossed out by the dogs eating birds and a whale, along with the parents telling the kids what's happening on every screen.

In the end, Eight Below is a good film, that is full of many emotional scenes, especially when the team make their way back to the station. The kids will want to see this film, but it is a little bit more intense then one would think. The bottom line is that the dogs are groovy and I would take these dogs over the penguins any day.

The Dogs Stole the Movie!

[surferchicky92 · 9/10 · 25 February 2006]

I am a huge dog freak, so I was looking forward to this movie already to begin with. But I didn't expect it to be so touching. it's not just about sled dogs in Antartica, it's about survival, and the bond a person has with their dogs.

While the actors did well in the movie, the best performances in the movie came from the dogs, hands down. I know that makes me sound pretty crazy, but when you see this movie, you know it's true. This is an awesome movie for all ages. I went to go see it with my 20 and 30 year old friends, and this is now one of their favorite movies of all time (besides Dirty Dancing). I say this is a great movie for the whole family!

The dogs are the true stars

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 June 2014]

It's the National Science Foundation Research Base in Antarctica. Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is an expedition guide with a team of dogs. Dr. Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood) from UCLA has just arrived. Charlie Cooper (Jason Biggs) is the Jack of all trades. Katie (Moon Bloodgood) is the pilot. When a storm comes bearing down on the base, they have to quickly evacuate. Katie can't return for the dogs and they are left behind.

The movie has two different sides. The human side of the story is fine but nothing special. Paul Walker has his good guy persona. Jason Biggs is joking around. The human struggle to rescue the dogs seem secondary. It's the dogs that are so endearing. After 50 minutes, the dogs take center stage. They project more human emotions than most of the human characters. They have the most powerful emotional story. They are the true stars of this movie.

Enjoyable For All

[hip_school_preppie · 8/10 · 2 March 2006]

My wife and I went to go this flick in the theater and I would say we were the only folks there without children. We went because we are the proud owners of two huskies ourselves. I urge anyone that is interested in dogs, animals, huskies, Antarctica, whatever, to see this movie. I must say for a Disney movie, it's not as childish as one may think, and there are definitely a few tear-jerking parts for different reasons. I have already noticed the desire growing amongst folks to have huskies in the past year or so, and I bet this movie will only positively influence that. Huskies can be a handful, but they are one of the coolest/smartest breeds you'll ever encounter. I just hope folks will go to Husky Rescue groups, before shelling out hundreds of dollars for breeders. Minor adjustments I would have made are focusing a little more on the dogs survival and less on Paul Walker's mission to get funding. Also, the dogs definitely did not not "talk" as much as our two huskies do : )

Huskies on the go

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 13 December 2013]

In a mission to find rare meteorite from the planet mercury in Antarctica. Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) who is a guide at the research base has to leave his Huskies behind as treacherous winter weather approaches.

Back at home, Shepard is guilt ridden about leaving his dogs and is determined in rescuing the dogs.

However the main part of the film is the dogs story. The dogs break free of their chains except for Old Jack who is too old and dies at the base camp.

The rest of the dogs hunt seals, birds and penguins to survive. One of the dogs gets fatally injured while looking at the southern lights one night, another is attacked and injured by a seal when they find whale meat. It may be too late for her unless she is rescued in time.

The Huskies are the real stars of the movie, the way they act on screen and inject personality is well done. The icy landscape is breathtaking the humans in many ways take back seat.

The film is inspired by a true Japanese story. The late Paul Walker shows great love for the dogs and its nice to know that he will not just be remembered for the Fast and Furious films. Jason Biggs provides comic relief.

Must see adventure for all ages

[kamac914 · 10/10 · 19 February 2006]

Saw this movie last night and I must say it is a terrific flick. I don't feel that the leopard seal scene would bother small children at all. My 5 and 7 year olds loved the movie and there is MUCH worse content in children's TV programming every day. By all means take the kids and enjoy. (and bring the Kleenex!!) While Paul Walker's acting isn't the greatest, Ben Affleck has gotten by somehow, hasn't he? Besides the real stars of this movie are obviously the dogs. The dogs in question seem to be portrayed as huskies, but it is obvious that at least a few of them are actually Alaskan Malamutes. Maya, who is the most heroic of the group, and almost certainly a Malamute, should get some kind of canine Oscar for a heart-rending performance. If you are a dog lover, or if you just long for a great adventure movie, by all means go see "Eight Below".

Triumph through Teamwork

[Chrysanthepop · 26 January 2013]

Frank Marshall's 'Eight Below's a complete delight. Based on the Japanese film 'Nankyoku Monogatari' (a film I really want to watch), this heartwarming (and at times heartbreaking tale) focuses on a team of sled dogs who are left to fend for themselves in the snowstorm of a harsh winter of Antarctica. I think the film would have worked better if it only focused on the dogs (after they're left behind) and their survival after they've been abandoned rather than on Jerry Shepard's determination to get back and rescue them, mainly because this latter portion isn't properly explored.

However, the actors do a decent job. Paul Walker performs adequately. Jason Biggs provides some fine comic relief and Bruce Greenwood is okay. But, the best performance comes from the dogs (D.J., Timba, Troika, Noble, Flapjack, Dino, Sitka, Chase, Floyd, Ryan, Jasper and Lightning). Not only do they look adorable but credit must go to their trainers as well.

In addition, the the Antarctica sequences are terrifically shot. The visuals are fascinating. The images of the dogs against the beauty and harshness of the landscape is stunningly captured. The instrumental score in these sequences is effective.

In the end, 'Eight Below' is not only a story about survival but about sticking together as a team, all the way through it which, in the end, proved the key to their triumph. This is something many humans could learn from.

A strong belief in survival.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 27 June 2006]

An engaging adventure from Walt Disney Pictures. You sometimes are forced to fight for the things that mean the most to you. A fierce Antartic storm, the worst in twenty-five years, interrupts a mission of scientists and explorers. Guide Jerry Shepard(Paul Walker)with his eight sled dog team carry Doctor McClaren(Bruce Greenwood)on an expedition in search of a meteoric rock from Mercury, when they are forced to turn back to base. The government project is halted and everyone is order to evacuate to the States and safety. The eight sled dogs are forced to be left behind to endure the harsh winter season. Shepard goes to great lengths to return and rescue his beloved dogs.

Beautiful scenery and a touching heartwarming story. Survival, romance and adventure, EIGHT BELOW is too good to be missed. The dogs may even be the stars of the show; supporting cast includes: Moon Bloodgood, Gerard Plunkett, Wendy Crewson and Jason Biggs.

Good technical achievement, artificial storytelling

[kylopod · 5/10 · 18 February 2007]

"Eight Below" gave me a clue why I tend to dislike animal movies even though I love animals in real life. Like most movies of its kind, it makes the animals seem a bit too much like people. That misses the point of what drives us animal lovers.

The beginning of the film, sort of a prologue, concerns a professor (Bruce Greenwood) searching for a meteorite in Antarctica. He is guided by a scientist (Paul Walker) with a team of sled dogs, as a storm approaches. It is almost obligatory in a movie like this for there to be a sequence where a character falls into the ice. Here we get two such sequences in a row, the second a lot more interesting than the first. It is the second that provides the movie's best line: "Don't tread water! Grab onto the ice! You'll freeze to death slower than drowning!" The manner in which the rescue takes place makes the film momentarily seem like "MacGyver on Ice."

When the research team gets evacuated, they're forced to leave the dogs behind because the plane has only enough room for the people. That begins the main section of the film, where the dogs fend for themselves for months, while the human characters try to get back to Antarctica but experience some setbacks. This story is based loosely on real events, portrayed in an earlier Japanese movie. Nobody knows how the real dogs survived on their own in the icy wilderness, and so both films are largely speculative. "Eight Below" offers little insight, however, instead taking the easy route and showing the dogs acting like human beings.

There's a scene, for example, where the dogs are stalking a flock of birds that always fly just out of their reach. The dogs then huddle together like members of a football team and devise a complex strategy which I doubt even the smartest dog in the real world would be capable of planning. I'm not saying that dogs are too stupid to pull such a thing off. As Stephen Jay Gould once put it in his foreword to a "Far Side" gallery, "Animals have intelligence different from ours; they are not just primitive models of our achievements." That's the kind of insight that's missing from "Eight Below." It doesn't attempt to explore how the dogs might have survived by behaving like dogs, even though such an approach would have been more enlightening.

Worse still, the adventures of the dogs are constantly intercut by the boring exchanges of the human characters on their way back to the base. Walker is the moral center who really loves the dogs, Greenwood (a dead ringer for Sam Neill) is the foolhardy explorer, Jason Biggs tries unsuccessfully to provide comic relief as the team's goofball, and Moon Bloodgood is there for a romantic subplot with Walker. There isn't much passion in any of these relationships; they exist to fill space whenever the movie wants us to take a breather from the dog scenes.

The technical direction of the dogs is impressive, making me wish there was a special award for this sort of thing. Not only are the eight dogs easy to tell apart (even a pair of identical twins are distinguished by a scar), each one has a different personality. Through their body movements and the tones of their barks and whimpers, we always understand what the dog characters are supposed to be thinking. But it's basically a story of people in dog suits.

I suppose that we all anthropomorphize animals to some degree. It's part of how we're able to relate to them on any level. But for me at least, there should be an element of mystery, a sense of encountering a mind very different from our own. That's the area where "Eight Below" sorely fails. But then, that may explain why I like cats more than dogs.