Eight Below

Saw this movie at a sneak preview showing on Feb 4. The human side of the story is a bit cheesy, but with Paul Walker in the cast you almost expect it. The real stars of this movie are the dogs, and wow is their story a gripping one. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll root for these 8 heroes. I really have to give Disney credit for not flinching in showing the harsh realities of survival at the bottom of the world. I was pleasantly surprised by how much i wound up enjoying this film. The entire theatre that i saw it with was sobbing like crazy by it's conclusion. Definitely worth a look.

This remake of a Japanese classic, Nankyoku Monogatari" is very similar to comparing "The Magnificent Seven" to "The Seven Samurai", and that is being generous, since the Mag 7 at least had some assets. The story of an Antarctic sled team abandoned by their humans, is barely told. We actually see more of the boring humans than of the dogs. No one cares about these people. If you want to see an adventure involving the dogs, don't bother. You don't see much. They have one little adventure with a big leopard seal. The Japanese movie took a few liberties, but stuck to the facts. This movie is watered down even by Disney standards. You never really feel that the dogs are in any danger. They even look like they're sun bathing in California. I would like to say something good about this film, but if you see "Nankyoku Monogatari" first, you will be very disappointed in this cheap remake. It isn't a bad movie. It is dull, plodding, and the acting is not nearly as good as the Japanese classic.

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.

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 : )

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.