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The Disney dogs will always save the
day
EIGHT BELOW - Directed by Frank Marshall
Certificate PG
THE windswept wastes of Antartica is the setting for this action
adventure from the kennels of Disney. Featuring a pack of dogs
and some well-meaning research scientists, Eight Below is your
standard man’s-best-friend fare.
Jerry Shepherd (Paul Walker) lives in a research station –
and part of his brief is to care for a dog sled team. And Jerry
is, as all Disney characters should be, totally in love with
the little furry creatures.
Jerry and his mutts are given a mission to carry a scientist
called Davis (Bruce Greenwood) to find a meteorite. But bad
weather sets in – this is, after all, the South Pole –
and the two narrowly escape intact. They owe their lives to
their dogs but when an escape plane lands, there is no room
for the mutts. Cue much sobbing from the little ones in the
cinema who have so far ruined the show by crunching through
copious amounts of pop corn.
The humans plan is to return when the weather clears –
but, so the film can last a little longer, it gets worse.
However, these are Disney dogs and that means rather than howl
at the moon while they slowly starve to death, they do something
about it.
Thus begins Jerry’s frantic attempts to get back to the
station and save his team, while the dogs themselves show they
are no slouches when it comes to getting by in sub-zero temperatures.
It has an air of the nature documentary about it: this pack
of dogs are pretty indistinguishable but it doesn’t matter.
They will all become your favourite.
It is well shot, with the frozen landscape providing a suitably
eerie backdrop for paw prints to leave their mark on.
Apparently this tale is based on true events, and the clever
direction and the well-trained heroes means the sentimental
and soppy moments are not enough to put you off enjoying this
flick. |
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