My hero is the dogs that saved my father

Eight Below

Written by Dave DiGilio. Directed by Frank Marshall (Congo, Alive). Starring Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) and a bunch of Huskies.

Gaisano Mall Cinema 3 (Thursday, April 20, 2006, 6:40 PM - 8:40 PM)
Deluxe: Virtually empty; Premiere: 80% full
Trailers: Missed them completely, even missed the beginning of the movie.

Story.

I missed the beginning of the movie. A scientist is trying to find a meteorite of some sort in the Antarctic or the South Pole. He is accompanied by the character played by Paul Walker that handles the sled, navigation, and the eight Huskies. They found the meteorite. But on their way back to the camp/research station the scientist got involved in an accident. He was rescued with the help of the lead dog named Maya (don't know the exact spelling). A storm forced the whole team to evacuate the station, leaving the dogs behind because the decision to evacuate was so sudden and the plane can no longer accomodate them. They would just have to go back to get the dogs later. But the storm took a turn for the worse and so no plane can be dispatched to fetch the dogs. This is where the story really begins. The story of survival of eight Huskies left to fend for themselves.

Impression.

The movie reminds me of the documentary, March of the Penguins, that I really liked. The dogs were amazing. They have been trained really well. Kudos to the trainers. I haven't seen a movie with dogs that convey emotion as good as the dogs used in this movie. It is also well written. You would think that it's sappy as typical of survival tales. But it's not. Little victories is mixed with defeats to make the story believable. It should be believable, it's based on a true story after all. Or so I've heard.

Would I see it again? Yes, I'd see it again if I can get some company. Would I recommend it to my friends? Absolutely yes. It's one of those movies with little publicity, but packs some big enjoyment and satisfaction. You get your money's worth.

Note: The title of this post, "My hero is the dogs that saved my father", can really be read within the movie. It's written by the child of the scientist rescued by the dogs.