Eight Below (PG) (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Eight Below (PG)

America was taken by surprise with the success of last year's The March of The Penquins. The critics had been fairly lukewarm, but the audiences just loved it. It also did well here, but we are used to such brilliant wild life programmes from David Attenborough, so it didn't have quite the same impact.

As we watched the ordeal the penguins had to endure in order to produce a healthy egg one's heart went out to them. Well this film, which was inspired by a true story, will make any dog lover's heart bleed. It is not a documentary, but it is just as informative.

Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is a dogsled guide with a mission to take geologist Dr. Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood) to Mount Melbourne. Jack is none to keen to embark on the venture as he thinks it is far too dangerous at this time of year, but his boss Andy Harrison (Gerard Plunkett) gives him little choice. The Doctor is looking for a meteor that was deposited from the planet Mercury. On the way they encounter all sorts of dangers, as a nasty storm is hard on their heels. Jerry's dogs Maya, Max, Shorty, Shadow, twin brothers Dewey and Truman, Buck, and Old Jack who is very near retiring, prove their weight in gold.

On arrival at the site they are radioed to return to base, as the storm is even worse than was expected. But Davis begs Jerry for a little more time to find the meteor. He does achieve his aim, but on the way back he falls through the ice breaking his leg. It is only thanks to the agility of the dogs and calmness of Jack that Davis is saved. But once they return to camp, it becomes apparent that if they are going to take off successfully, they will have to leave the dogs behind.

Katie (Moon Bloodgood) the pilot, and an old flame of Jerry's reassures him that she will return for them. But once they get back to camp base the weather gets a whole lot worse. From here on in the story is told in two parts as Jerry does everything he can to get his dogs back and the dogs fight for survival.

The dogs will take your breath away as we get to know their individual personalities. All but one of them manage to free themselves, with at first Maja taking charge of the team as they face the darkest and coldest time of year in Antarctica. I know this is Disney production, but it is interesting that director Frank Marshall also gave us the grisly Alive (1993).

It was about the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's plane crash and how they had to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. I merely point this out because when a dog dies, in order to survive one would have thought the others would have gobbled him up; fortunately this isn't the case here. That said, this a beautifully made production, and you find yourself praying for their survival, as Marshall tells us the date and number of days the dogs have been left alone. Walker is good as the caring handler, and Jason Biggs as his best friend Charlie adds a nice touch of light humour, but the stars of the show are undoubtedly the dogs.

There is only one 'pass the sick bag' moment when Dr Davis sees one of his little boy's drawings and has a sort of epiphany. But apart from that it is not overly sentimental and totally believable. As family entertainment goes this is as good as it gets even though it is a tad long, and being a dog lover is definitely an advantage. 7/10