Eight Below

Buena Vista, color, 120 min. plus supplements, Dolby Digital 5.1, anamorphic widescreen, Street: June 20, $29.99; First Run: W, Feb. 2006, $81.5 mil.

Director Frank Marshall is all over this DVD like snow in Antarctica. He appears in the too-short featurette "Running With the Dogs: The Making of Eight Below" as well as two feature-length audio tracks. Pairing up with producer Pat Crowley in one and star Paul Walker and cinematographer Don Burgess in the other, Marshall seldom overlaps himself—there's that much to say about the production of this film. Describing the harsh shooting environment of Smithers, British Columbia (which subs for Antarctica), the director notes that set builders' hammers kept snapping in temperatures as low as 22 degrees below zero. The challenges and rewards of working with the canine actors, whose eyes are variously described as expressive and iridescent, also command some of the commentary time. Aside from Marshall, the 11-minute documentary features talking head contributions from the writer, dog trainer and lead (human) actors, yet nothing is said about the true events that inspired the film. Finally, the director offers commentary on five deleted, largely inconsequential scenes. A solid performer at the box office, Eight Below should be a popular title for parents looking for live-action entertainment they can enjoy as much as the kids.


<<< Back | Print

  © 2006, Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.