"8 Below"

[furtech]

I went to see "Eight Below" tonight .

I went into this knowing that it would be nothing like the film it was based on ( "Nankyoku monogatari" aka "Antarctica" ). That film is amazing and more raw--a real tear jerker. I wondered just -how- much they Disney-fied the original.

Overall, I got what I wanted: typical Disney fare that is both sappy and relatively enjoyable. Along the lines of "The Incredible Journey" or "Thomasina". The filmmakers at least did a decent amount of research. They got a few things terribly wrong but to me they weren't hugely noticeable mistakes. Without spoilers: the science expedition was barely believable; what's with all the daylight?; and when winter's setting in, the ice doesn't get thinner! The dogs were anthropomorphized but far less than I expected. I could see what they based the behaviors on-- the anthropomorphizing was essentially to shortcut/make more obvious how the dogs survived. They also didn't show what was probaby the dogs' main food source during that time-- penguins-- because they're too cute to be seen torn apart by hungry huskies I guess.

The dogs were gorgeous and probably the best actors in the movie. And again without giving out spoilers, not all of them survive which was both poignant and somewhat surprising (I dreaded Disney totally sappifying the story.

Bottom line: if you want to see wonderful icy scenery and lots of huskies, go see it. If you want sophisticated stories or realistic survival epics, skip it.

Comments

[desertcoyote.livejournal.com]

I get teary-eyed just watching the trailer, so I think I'll wait until it comes to DVD so I can sob like the sap I am in the privacy of my own home.... :D
I never heard of "Antarctica" but it sounds like a beautiful movie, if I can watch it through my tear-stained eyes.... :)
(I'm SUCH a sap when it comes to dogs...!)

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

Dogs are worth it. I wonder if I can bear to watch that movie myself... ;_;