Mush You Huskies Mush

Disney's 'Eight Below' not just a bunch of mush
By SUE PIERMAN

Special to the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Feb. 16, 2006



Disney's new adventure movie "Eight Below" is inspired by a 1957 Japanese Antarctic expedition and the 1983 Japanese film based on it. It is a story worth telling.

In "Eight Below" - the movie is moved up to 1993 - Paul Walker is an Antarctic guide whose life is about extremes: extreme weather, extreme sports and extreme isolation, with no roots or relationships save with his team of sled dogs.

When a Los Angeles scientist (Bruce Greenwood) begs Walker to lead a treacherous, end-of-season expedition to find a meteorite, Walker reluctantly agrees.

When they learn that a fast-moving storm is descending on them, Walker delays their return to afford the scientist a few more hours to search for his treasure - a decision that ultimately results in eight sled dogs being stranded at the bottom of the world for more than six months.

Although the dogs manage to battle back to base camp, the humans must evacuate.

With scant room on the airplane, the canines are left behind. The pilot promises to immediately return to retrieve them, but the storm abruptly cuts off travel for the rest of the season.

From then on, the story follows two courses: Walker's desperate efforts to save his dogs, and the dogs' uncanny determination to survive.

Stunningly filmed from the air, on the ground, even from underneath the ice, Canada, Greenland and Norway stand in for brutally beautiful Antarctica.

The film's palette is primarily icy whites, grays and blues, a startling contrast to the lush green of the United States, where Walker pleads with the government and Greenwood to fund a rescue attempt.

Kudos to the animal wrangler on the picture. The dogs are extremely well-trained and expressive, giving performances that at times best their human counterparts.

The ways in which the animals communicate is poignant as they display grief, encouragement, bravery and joy, and their loyalty is heart-wrenching as they hunch for days in the cold awaiting their master's return.

Maya, the only female, is the team's acknowledged leader. She has a queenly, compassionate countenance but is a realist when making decisions for the group. She is the one to decide it is time to stop waiting and start fighting to survive hunger, the elements and predators.

A word of caution: Watching the dogs suffer in severe weather may be too much for very young children and animal lovers, but it is a Disney adventure movie that does old Walt himself proud.

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