Eight Below

Theatrical Release Date: 2006 02 17 (USA)

UPC: 786936709902

Studio: Walt Disney Video

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Watch With Your Kids, Scary Moments]

Summary: Eight brave sled dogs search for the master who is looking for a way to rescue them in this adventure drama. An American geologist (Bruce Greenwood) flies to Antarctica to participate in a project at the United States Research Base, where he teams up with arctic guide Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) and his best friend, Cooper (Jason Biggs). The scientist soon discovers that Shepard also has eight other valuable friends -- a pack of sled dogs he's worked with for years, who have rescued him from a number of tight spots. As the three men explore a frozen mountain region, an unexpected accident coupled with a massive storm front forces them to fly to safety, leaving the dogs behind. Shepard is determined to rescue his canine friends, but he has to wait until the weather will allow him to travel back to the mountain, while the dogs struggle against the elements to survive as they attempt to make their way back home. Eight Below was inspired by a true story involving Japanese researchers exploring the Antarctic in 1957; the story was made into the film Nankyoku Monogatari. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Features: ccDeleted scenes with audio commentary by director
"Running With the Dogs: The Making of Eight Below"
Director and producer audio commentary
Director, actor and director of photography audio commentary

Eight Below

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 06/20/2006

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 2.40:1

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 120 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Eight Below
1. Opening Credits [4:22]
2. Bottom of the Planet [10:34]
3. The Expedition [7:55]
4. Melbourne [7:15]
5. Impending Storm [9:42]
6. Evacuation [14:34]
7. On Your Own [7:09]
8. Deep Winter [5:22]
9. Can't Let Go [12:19]
10. Teamwork [9:11]
11. Hope [9:23]
12. Return to the Base [5:02]
13. One More [9:51]
14. End Credits [7:28]

Derek Armstrong

Embedded in the children's movie Eight Below is a story that appeals to adults. Unfortunately, it emerges only in the first half. Disney's tale of eight sled dogs abandoned during an Antarctic storm, the film definitely starts out with the rhythms of a harrowing adventure. Screenwriter David DiGillio lays the groundwork, offering an insider's look at the world of Antarctic exploration, as well as the unique personality types who make the sourthernmost land mass their area of expertise, among them Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker). Jerry's transportation of a scientist (Bruce Greenwood) to a remote mountain -- a treacherous trip Jerry advises against -- turns into a handful of thrilling set pieces, involving caverns hidden by snow, frigid waters, storms, the threat of frostbite, and a heroic group of exceptionally trained dogs. Combine that with some lighter moments and some gorgeous cinematography, and Eight Below has a great vibe going. It's when the humans must evacuate that the movie wanders into the precious territory of a kiddie film, losing track of that vibe. Whenever director Frank Marshall checks in on the dogs, the jaunty flute music kicks in, and the action tends to take on the whimsy of a talking animal movie. There's also a certain inauthenticity to these passages, since they involve imagining how the dogs might survive in this environment without humans -- a speculative exercise at best. Meanwhile, as Jerry makes repeated attempts to get back to them, even through political channels back in the U.S., his character is sentenced to a lot of frowning and looking forlorn -- a stark contrast from the man of action we saw in the first half. Eight Below exceeds expectations by quite a bit, but it would be even better if the second half could match the first -- and if it were 20 minutes shorter. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Garry Chalk  Actor 
Timbalada & Os Zarabe  Actor 
Flapjack  Actor 
Richard Sali  Actor 
Babi Floyd  Actor 
Buck 65  Actor 
Buddy Cain  Actor 
Michael Simms  Actor 
Laara Sadiq  Actor 
Daniel Bacon  Actor 
DJ Abdel  Actor 
Chase Rucker Productions  Actor 
Adrian Noble  Actor 
Dexter Bell  Actor 
Koda Bear  Actor 
Lightning  Actor 
Malcolm Stewart  Actor 
Damon Johnson  Actor 
Michael D. Adamthwaite  Actor 
Connor Christopher Levins  Actor 
Duncan Fraser  Actor 
Dino  Actor 
Carl Jasper  Actor 
Troika  Actor 
Dan Ziskie  Actor 
Apache  Actor 
A. James Ryan  Actor 
Alexios A. Panou  Actor 
Brendan Campbell  Actor 
Jasmine  Actor 
Gary Barber  Executive Producer 
Roger Birnbaum  Executive Producer 
Mark Isham  Composer (Music Score) 
Masaru Kakutani  Executive Producer 
Frank Marshall  Director 
Frank Marshall  Executive Producer 
Patrick Crowley  Producer 
David Hoberman  Producer 
Roy Lee  Executive Producer 
Christine Iso  Executive Producer 
Todd Lieberman  Executive Producer 
David DiGilio  Screenwriter 
Paul Walker  Actor 
Bruce Greenwood  Actor 
Moon Bloodgood  Actor 
Jason Biggs  Actor 
Gerard Plunkett  Actor 
August Schellenberg  Actor 
Wendy Crewson  Actor 
Belinda Metz  Actor 

Country: USA