“Eight Below” is the newest box office hit about eight sled dogs left in Antarctica to fend for themselves for six months. The film is based on a 1983 Japanese flick, “Antarctica,” which in turn was based on the true events of a 1957 Japanese expedition to the Antarctic.

Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is an expedition guide in Antarctica six months out of the year. His job is to ferry inquisitive scientists to some of the remotest corners of the Antarctic led by a pack of eight huskies and malamutes.
When Shepard is assigned to take a UCLA professor (Bruce Greenwood) out into the field to search for meteorites, Shepard objects to the trip as it is too late in the season for such an excursion. The head of the station overrules Shepard, however, and the two head out on what proves to be a perilous mission.
Just after reaching their destination and setting up camp, the expedition is called back by the base camp with news of a severe, early winter snow storm approaching.

After locating the meteorite early the next morning, the pair begin their trek back to the base camp. While traveling, the professor takes a wrong step and ends up neck deep in icy waters with a broken leg. With the help of his guide and the sled dogs, the professor is pulled to safety and packed into the sled for the rest of the trip back to camp. The storm has already set in and if they don’t get back soon, they all face the possibility of death.

The expedition manages to make it back to camp, but the professor’s potentially fatal condition and the storm outside force the decision to leave the dogs behind temporarily. After a short flight to the main station, which contains a hospital, the plan is to come back for the dogs.

When Shepard awakes in the hospital after being treated for frostbite, he discovers that the storm has cancelled all plans to go back to the camp until August, six months away.

What ensues is a heartwarming, bittersweet and primarily fictionalized tale of the dogs’ adventure and Shepard’s attempts to go back for them.

Although the film is based on a true event, much of the film is spent following the dogs on a fictional journey of what might have happened. The stars of this movie are the dogs, which are adorable and extremely well trained.

Paul Walker is believable as an outdoorsy type of guy who loves his dogs, but doesn’t add a whole lot of depth to the role. Jason Biggs returns to the screen as the silly side-kick to Paul Walker’s good looking brooder.

Although this film is rated PG, it may not be appropriate for children of all ages. It’s a full two hours and much of the film is dedicated to watching the dogs plow through the snow-blanketed land. There are a few moments that frightened even me, including a battle between the dogs and a leopard seal which resembles a beast from “The Lord of the Rings,” and small children may be disturbed. (Spoiler alert): Not all of the dogs manage to survive the six months, so particularly sensitive kids (or adults) may want to skip this one.

A really good film overall, and one that I will see again.

****

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