Eight Below

Disney, 2006, 120 minutes  

Add this title to your Netflix queue  

This movie is good for kids and good to dogs. There will be some painful moments here for dog lovers, in this tale (based on real events) of eight sled dogs who are left behind for months at a scientific station in the Antarctic when a fierce storm forces the people to decamp.  

One of them, the musher who calls the dogs "the kids" and who cares so deeply for them he is consumed by their fate when he's prevented from going back to save them, perseveres on their behalf. And when he finally makes it back, after an astonishing 175 days, what he finds is a miracle - of survival, of strength, of canine heroism and love for the pack.

Director Frank Marshall has made an unblinking, unalloyed drama that gives the dogs their full measure of individuality and dignity. There are exciting moments to be sure, but never so over-the-top it feels like the product of a screenwriter trying to earn his keep. As the ticker keeps track of how many days the dogs have been on their own, the viewer with a heart will naturally feel it breaking.

But it is repaired almost fully in the end. A small crack remains. And that's a good thing, I think.

Presence of dogs:
Respect for dogs:
Canine star quality:
Family friendly:

Post a Comment