Eight Below (2006)reviewed by Benn "Where's the Humanity?" Farrell
"Eight Below" is the supposedly inspired by actual events story of eight Antarctica sled dogs which are left behind by a research facility during a massive storm. Their trainer, played by Paul Walker (Into the Blue), does his best to get back to the research camp to save the dogs, but he runs out of resources. Meanwhile, the dogs spend almost 180 days in the Antarctic region surviving on their own and relying on each other, until their rescue. The best thing about this movie was the interaction between the dogs. Each of the dogs are given a character and once they are left on their own, their characters take over, including a power shift between the pack's leader Maya and its pup Max. A while ago, Disney put out a movie called "Snow Dogs," which I thought could be could if it were taken somewhat seriously and the DOGS DID NOT TALK!!! Finally, Disney gives a canine hero where the dog's interaction drives the movie and their communication is only limited to barking and whimpering. I couldn't find a single reason to dislike this picture. It has a huge heart. It work its material with the thought of what is possible rather than probable AND most importantly not all eight dogs survive the movie. I thought this gave the movie an massive amount of credibility. If the film lacked anything, it was those corny moments where a Disney movie becomes a "Disney" movie. Overall, "Eight Below" is one of my favorite movies of 2006 thus far (by Feb. 24). It involves dogs, so kids will like it, and it has a mature heart for adults to be taken in. This film is a benchmark for all movies that get labeled "fun for the whole family." Benn - Where's the Humanity?
The best thing this movie did was to have the dogs communicate without every speaking more than a bark.