Nothing pulls at your heartstrings quite like a pack of freezing snow dogs. That's why in tales of survival, triumph of the human spirit can be inspiring, but it'll never inspire as many awwwws as triumph of the canine spirit.
Eight Below tells the story of a team of sled dogs inadvertently abandoned in the Antarctic when a series of accidents forces the bipeds of the camp to leave, and nature and bureaucracy prevent them from returning. So while the eight dogs are chain-tethered to "the worst Antarctic storm in 25 years," frustrated dog lover Gerry (Paul Walker) struggles to rescue them.
The film is directed by Frank Marshall, whose last tale of survival, Alive, featured a soccer team stranded in the Andes, forced to devour its own members. But the heroes of Eight Below decide they're too civilized for that sort of thing and elect to break free of their chains to seek alternative sources of food. They contend with all the perils of the icy outdoors: crevasses, thin ice, life-threatening injuries and even predatory seals. These adventure sequences are intercut with scenes of Gerry trying to win funding for an expedition back to his dogs, a subplot that's slow, frustrating and may inspire restlessness in adults as well as kids. And though resistant at first, the story eventually succumbs to an afterthought of a love story for its attractive human leads.
The movie is best when it stands on all four legs. While the cast of huskies isn't as emotionally expressive as the tiger cubs of Two Brothers or even the bear of The Bear, this is mostly due to the vague facial articulations of the breed. But when compared to actors of the same species, these pooches act circles around Lassie and Benji. The characters Max and Maya do particularly well with their anthropomorphic duties, pulling off solid character arcs that even the younger members of the audience will appreciate.
Despite the human diversions, Eight Below is certain to delight kids. And by the end, there won't be a dry eye on a single animal lover.