Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In the Antarctic, after an expedition with Dr. Davis McClaren, the sled dog trainer Jerry Shepherd has to leave the polar base with his colleagues due to the proximity of a heavy snow storm. He ties his dogs to be rescued after, but the mission is called-off and the dogs are left alone at their own fortune. For six months, Jerry tries to find a sponsor for a rescue mission.
Eight Below is a competent and emotionally effective family adventure anchored by genuinely stunning Antarctic cinematography that gives the film a visceral, expansive beauty. The survival sequences featuring the dogs are well-crafted and the film earns its emotional beats. However, the human storyline is fairly formulaic — the determined guide seeking sponsors to rescue his dogs follows a predictable arc. Acting from Paul Walker and the supporting cast is solid but unremarkable. The film's novelty is limited; survival-against-the-elements dog stories have strong precedents, and this is a fairly straightforward remake of the 1983 Japanese film Nankyoku Monogatari. The ending delivers the emotional payoff audiences expect without subverting or deepening the genre in any meaningful way.