Could this be the beginning of a new era of excellence for Disney? We'll see. It's definitely a great start.
Eight Below (2006)
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Reviews Counted:138
Fresh:98
Rotten:40
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Featuring a stellar cast of marooned mutts, who deftly display emotion, tenderness, loyalty and resolve, Eight Below is a heartwarming and exhilarating adventure film.
Theatrical Release:Feb 17, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $81,593,527
Synopsis: Inspired by a true story and the hit Japanese film NANKYOKU MONOGATARI, Frank Marshall's (ALIVE, CONGO) EIGHT BELOW captures a rugged world of ice, snow, and threatening weather that few will ever... Inspired by a true story and the hit Japanese film NANKYOKU MONOGATARI, Frank Marshall's (ALIVE, CONGO) EIGHT BELOW captures a rugged world of ice, snow, and threatening weather that few will ever experience in person. As a guide for a National Science Foundation Research Base in Antarctica, Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is perfectly content to spend his time exploring the wilderness with his sled dogs and goofing around with his best buddy, cartographer Charlie Cooper (Jason Biggs). Then UCLA geologist Davis McLaren (Bruce Greenwood) arrives at the camp with plans for a risky expedition: treacherous ice fields make his target destination accessible only by dog sled so late in the season. Soon Shepard, McLaren and the sled dogs--Maya, Max, Old Jack, Buck, Shorty, Dewey, Shadow, and Truman--are on their way in search of McLaren's prize: a meteorite from Mercury. Unfortunately, an approaching storm forces Shepard and McLaren to return to base early. The return trip proves life-threatening, but the dogs pull through, saving both Shepard and McLaren from certain death. The storm also forces the scientists to leave the research center earlier than planned, and there's no room on board bush pilot Katie's (Moon Bloodgood) plane for the dogs. With the promise that someone will return for them immediately, Shepard leaves his beloved dogs behind. Soon, however, it becomes apparent that the weather has made a return trip impossible. Can the dogs survive in the Antarctic wilderness on their own, or will Shepard get back in time to save them? The dogs emerge as the most intriguing characters in the story, each exhibiting a distinct personality and fierce loyalty. The other major player is the wilderness itself, a beautiful, mysterious world that is rarely depicted on film. [More]
Starring: Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood, Moon Bloodgood, Jason Biggs
Starring: Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood, Moon Bloodgood, Jason Biggs, Gerard Plunkett, August Schellenberg, Wendy Crewson, Belinda Metz, A. James Ryan, Adrian Noble
Director: Frank Marshall
Director: Frank Marshall
Screenwriter: Dave Digilio
Producer: David Hoberman
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
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Reviews for Eight Below
If you thought those marching penguins were brave and adorable, wait till you see an eight pack of courageous, intelligent and captivating dogs ...
Eight Below doesn't anthropomorphize the dogs or play down the jeopardy they are in, creative choices that bolster the film's realism.
A pleasant re-imagining, thanks mostly to the great performances of eight beautiful dogs.
Eight Below is so filled with action, adventure, and genuine emotion that it's easy to ignore the few little things that don't work.
"Eight Below" is exciting, and the arctic photography stunning but it's too long, and perhaps a little scary and too realistic at times for youngsters.
A year hence, the academy should give Mike Alexander a special Oscar® for animal wrangling.
Eight Below runs two hours and would have benefited from losing 30 minutes of that -- all of it from Jerry's (Paul Walker) protracted quest. The other human actors are simply types.
... a shaggy-dog version of a Jack London story, enhanced with an animatronic leopard seal that looks like Charlie the Tuna.
Those pesky creatures known as actors keep getting in the way of total enjoyment.
'Eight Below' makes a compelling case for preferring animals to people.
It’s too clichéd, it’s too rote, and honestly I think you have to care a little bit more about the individual dogs to believe that these people would care so much.
The plot's slavish schmaltz proves as oppressive as the harsh winter that descends upon the dogs.
The dogs in EIGHT BELOW are excellent -- courageous, expressive, smart, and adorable. Their human costars? Well, they're okay too.
...a rousing tale of canines courageous that warms the heart enough to offset the chilly surroundings.
A good movie but with a little tweaking it could have been a classic Disney film
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