Eight Below Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 02.24.2006
Every reader that comes to this site wants to see a film about Paul Walker and sled dogs.
Gerry Shepard: Paul Walker
Davis McClaren: Bruce Greenwood
Katie: Moon Bloodgood
Charlie Cooper: Jason Biggs
Dr. Andy Harrison: Gerard Plunkett
Mindo: August Schellenberg
Eve McClaren: Wendy Crewson
Directed by Frank Marshall
Release Date: February 17, 2006
Running Time: 2 hours
Rated PG for some peril and brief mild language.
By Chad Webb
I know what you're all thinking. Another movie about the intelligence and courage of dogs should be easily dismissed. Anyone who picks a film like Eight Below apart has lost all concept of how much fun going to the movies can be. Much like any adventure film, Eight Below has many aspects that cannot be taken literally. Many have addressed that the film has too much sunlight for the dogs because the winter season in Antarctica is mostly darkness. Get over it. This wintry adventure might appear ice cold, but it is endless heartwarming family fun that is more enjoyable for the journey rather than the destination.
Gerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is an expedition guide that spends most of his time in Antarctica, or "the bottom of the world" as he calls it. Unfortunately for him, this does not leave him with much time for dates. During his time in Antarctica he has made friends with eight sled dogs. They look like Huskies, and as a matter of fact, six of them are, while the other two are Alaskan Malamutes. The dogs are taken on a little trip to Mount Melbourne with Doctor Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood), who is desperate to locate a significant meteorite from the planet Mercury. After Gerry and the Doc get word of a looming storm, they quickly locate the meteor and race back to their headquarters through dangerous terrain and a powerful storm. As the two return from the storm, they are ordered to vacate the area. Even though Gerry fights tooth and nail, the dogs are forced to stay behind. The dogs then face the violent and unpredictable Antarctic atmosphere with only themselves to find food, while Gerry battles his guilt of leaving them behind, by doing everything in his power to save them.
Ladies love him, and guys hate him, but either way, Paul Walker's performances remain stable as constantly humdrum, but not unbearable by any stretch of the imagination. As Gerry Shepard, he does convey a genuinely uplifting relationship with the dogs. Walker is most believable during his interaction with the dogs, and when he is discussing them with others. What brings this movie down a notch is the sappy, unnecessary, and absurd love story, which acts as an irritating sub-plot. Jason Biggs offers some decent humor to the story with his normal goofball antics. In the beginning sequences, Walker and Biggs start out in a room with a temperature of 110 degrees, and quickly run outside where the temperature is –30 degrees.
Without a doubt, the dogs are the stars in this film, and to be honest, they put every other performance to shame. It is nice that the audience is given subtitles of the length in which the dogs have been on their own. They really put into perspective, what the dogs must have gone through all that time. This is no Homeward Bound where the animals have voices, and that is refreshing because the silent scenes with the dogs is what makes this film evocative and meaningful. It doesn't matter how impeccably the dogs were trained, or where the filming took place (which is Canada) because the correct impression of adventure, companionship, and the struggle for survival was magnificently displayed.
Director Frank Marshall has resurfaced after nearly ten years with a film that will surely be a blizzard of excitement for the entire family. Marshall's career had been up and down in terms of direction with the terrific horror film Arachnophobia and the major disappointment of Congo, but this will be a rejuvenation of sorts. With the aid spectacularly vivid cinematography by Don Burgess, viewers get shivering images of vast glaciers, snow covered mountains, and formidable storms. Eight Below is based on the 1983 Japanese film entitled Antarctica. Obviously, Marshall took his time with the animals in order to craft the most authentic scenes possible that are packed with entertainment, such as violent leopard seals and outsmarting the birds for food.
I'm sure most people have an animal movie that springs to mind above all the rest, and as hard as it might be to believe, this might be the classic animal story for some kids out there. I've watched countless dog and animal adventures, but the ones that I remember most are the original Beethoven and Old Yeller. As predictable as the ending might seem here, I think these types of films are always rejected quickly. However when moviegoers actually decide to give it a chance, they end up pleasantly surprised and satisfied. The harsh Antarctic wind will most definitely sweep this film onto DVD in a hurry, and that is where Eight Below will gain a great deal of its popularity. Disney's latest release is effective and delightful as an unpretentious and benign experience that will surely enliven ones love for canines.
The 411: The character of Paul Walker is much more intriguing than how he actually performs it. If you have an intense hatred for him then I would suggest avoiding this, but otherwise he is tolerable here. Yes, he does take his shirt off, and that is annoying, but oh well. The length goes by pretty fast, and even though the preview reveals way too much about this film, it is still worth recommending.
