SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Almost everyone has a pet at some point in his or her life. Even an imaginary friend can be remotely close to that in some cases. They are animals that share a special connection with its owner. Something of which only the owner and pet could understand. Out of these various animals that constitute as pets, the most domesticated and common of all is the dog. Regularly labeled as "man's best friend", the dog continues to be the one of the few animals that can garner enough people to come out and see them in movies. Yes cats are also popular but besides Garfield (2004), who isn't even real, what other films have portrayed cats in a positive manner as of recent? Majority of the time, they are portrayed as antagonists.There's also nothing better than pairing up a dog with almost any girl's dream guy and a guy's right hand man, Paul Walker, who by this time was already well known thanks to The Fast and the Furious (2001) franchise. Here, Walker plays Jerry Shepard (huh, how appropriate) a field guide for a station in Antarctica. There he uses his trusty husky dogs to get around. On a normal day, Jerry is introduced to Dr. McClaren (Bruce Greenwood), a scientist hoping to find a special rock fragment that came from planet Mercury. On their travels they end up running into a snowstorm that drives them back to base. Dismally with no other choice when being evacuated, Jerry is told he has to leave his huskies behind. Once left alone, the dogs begin their journey of survival and Jerry begins his struggle to return to retrieve his pals.The writing to this movie is astoundingly well rounded. I'm surprised that David DiGilio hasn't gotten much work after this. Supposedly he's penning the slow moving Tron: Legacy (2010) sequel but that's it. Each character has their moment of development when it comes to the fuzzy snow dogs. Supporting Jerry in his emotional troubles are Katie (Moon Bloodgood), who also has a closer attachment to Jerry than everyone else for apparent reasons. There's also Cooper played by Jason Biggs who keeps his humor light and comical since he's better known for being in the American Pie (1999) series. Dr. McClaren's development is the most satisfying though. Be that as it may, the dogs are the ones who earn big props for the things they do in this film.In fact, along with the running time, viewers may learn some helpful safety tips if one were to be in such situations. I know I did. For one thing, they too get some development. At the beginning Jerry introduces the dog team to Dr. McClaren. From there, if one can remember most of the names, the viewer will be able to see a number of the dogs grow in character. All the same, the performances behind these dogs are spot on. They reminisce that of the dog actors from The Thing (1982), very well trained. This particular credit belongs to Michael Alexander, an animal trainer who has worked in several other feature films involving animals. His ability to have these dogs act so believable and human like is mind- boggling. Imagine how many hours that took just to get one action performed correctly! Holy cow!The cinematography is another breathtaking element to the film. Weather can be a problematic issue when it comes to making movies. How they filmed the Antarctic scenes is beyond comprehension. It must've been so cold, yet, Don Burgess was able to film large panning shots of the landscape. Snow dunes or frozen lakes, by golly was it magnificent. Burgess is also the guy who worked for Spider-Man (2002), Cast Away (2000) and Forrest Gump (1994). And then there's Mark Isham's score to the film. Isham is mostly a composer who enjoys adding texture like sound mixes in his music. In spite of that, Isham actually provided a theme for the dogs and used soft piano chords to emote the proper feelings for the dogs. My only complaint was that theme isn't easy to recall. Surely this could not have been that hard to do. Other than that Isham still provided great music. If you enjoy a good adventure of survival, this is it.Its music lacks a recognizable main theme but it still is powerfully effective along with its likable set of characters and emotional quest of endurance.

i'd like to give this movie with 10 star but there're the things that i can't do it. this movie tells about the love between the 8 dogs and their owner that you should feel in the way that he doesn't want to but i'm still thinking if i was him i won't do something like that with my dogs. someone should put them in the house and left them some feeds until they can come back to pick them up. why did he tied them outside? his owner didn't get hurt so hard he can do it. if they were mine, i will stay with them instead. i love the movies of the animal but i don't want to take the dramas, the reason i watch this movie is it's belong to walt Disney, i know that walt Disney's movies are not sad, but in this you lost 2 dogs so i wonder that is it really base on the true story? there're 6 dogs left in the end, Jerry knew that Old Jack died but the other he didn't even try to find out, just thought by himself that the other must died too. some in this movie doesn't make sense. that's why i can't give 1 more star.

Frank Marshall's 'Eight Below's a complete delight. Based on the Japanese film 'Nankyoku Monogatari' (a film I really want to watch), this heartwarming (and at times heartbreaking tale) focuses on a team of sled dogs who are left to fend for themselves in the snowstorm of a harsh winter of Antarctica. I think the film would have worked better if it only focused on the dogs (after they're left behind) and their survival after they've been abandoned rather than on Jerry Shepard's determination to get back and rescue them, mainly because this latter portion isn't properly explored.However, the actors do a decent job. Paul Walker performs adequately. Jason Biggs provides some fine comic relief and Bruce Greenwood is okay. But, the best performance comes from the dogs (D.J., Timba, Troika, Noble, Flapjack, Dino, Sitka, Chase, Floyd, Ryan, Jasper and Lightning). Not only do they look adorable but credit must go to their trainers as well.In addition, the the Antarctica sequences are terrifically shot. The visuals are fascinating. The images of the dogs against the beauty and harshness of the landscape is stunningly captured. The instrumental score in these sequences is effective.In the end, 'Eight Below' is not only a story about survival but about sticking together as a team, all the way through it which, in the end, proved the key to their triumph. This is something many humans could learn from.

I kept wondering why are they don't fly in when the weather is so good - sky is clear, there was no storms or anything and they just don't want to go there. The dogs starve but engage in confusing ensemble for sharing food - polite ballet doesn't fit into sled dogs life style, does it? The physical and emotional stress that follows expeditions in tough weather are missing altogether (remember The Edge?)Leading lady shifts between caring and flinty attitudes unable to decide what to do. Protagonist despite all this love for the dogs let months pass by before deciding to go to Antarctica. It is a pale movie with weak story.