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Review:
 Back
in 1990, the Oscar academy gave what's called a “special” award to
a man named Richard Williams, for the amazing job he did bringing
“Roger Rabbit” to life. They didn't have a “best animated feature”
award back then, so they decided to create one for this special
one-time occasion. In 1947, they gave James Baskett a special
“best performance by a negro” award to for his work on “Song of
the South.” A year hence, the academy should give Mike Alexander a
special award for animal wrangling. He, his number two Gary Gero
and their team did something incredible here.
In 1957, a team of sled dogs were left behind in Antarctica and
managed to survive the harsh winter. The owner of the team felt
horrible about it and wangled his way back to the bottom of the
world to rescue them. A couple of dozen years later the incident
was transformed into a film called “Antarctica” by Koreyoshi
Kurahara, which became a major hit in Japan. Why Disney didn't
remake it years and years ago is a mystery, but as “March of the
Penguins” was such a huge hit, one might expect that they might
give it a go.
The film has been Americanized and now takes place in 1993, the
last year they had sled dogs down there. Professor Davis
McClaren(Bruce Greenwood) is going to the bottom of the world in
order to hunt meteorites, where on top of the snow they're much
easier to find than anywhere else. When he gets to the base he and
his pilot Katie(Moon Bloodgood) meet a group of scientists
reminiscent of the doctors in the MASH TV show. Charlie
Cooper(Jason Biggs) is silly cartographer, commanding officer Dr.
Andy Harrison(Gerard Plunkett) is gruff but understanding, and
bush guide Jerry Shepard(Paul Walker) is happy go lucky, except
when it has to do with his work.
So Jerry isn't particularly happy when Davis tells him that he's
going in the opposite direction than what he told him before he
got there. Going to the mountain in question would be far more
dangerous than following the original plan. But they go anyway.
This is where Alexander's amazing canines come in. The seven dogs
manage to give performances that rival the actors for nuance and
emotion. When they are forced to be left behind due to Davis'
breaking his leg and an upcoming blizzard, the film is split in
two.
On the one hand, we have Jerry trying to get the funding to rescue
the dogs, and the story of the dogs themselves. Greenland takes
the place of Antarctica and there's an animatronics leopard seal,
but this doesn't change the fact that the dogs are REALLY acting.
The story of survival is actually riveting as we follow the pack
hunting seagulls, sharing the meals, and fighting animatronics
leopard seals.
Meanwhile we see Jack's journey while Davis decides to clear his
conscience. Not all the dogs survive, so some kids may be upset
[which is why it's not “G”], but all in all this is the best
live-action family film to come out this year, if not several.
Even if you don't have kids to take, it's worth seeing it on your
own.
Eric Lurio
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