Eight Below

No doggie flicks for years and then four turn up at once. After ‘Lassie’, ‘Greyfriars Bobby’ and the abominable ‘Shaggy Dog’ comes this likeable adventure set in the wastelands of Antarctica. It’s inspired by a true story from 1957 about a pack of husky sled-dogs that had to be abandoned when all the scientists were forced to evacuate ahead of a storm. In the film, the dogs’ charge, survival guide Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker), is devastated that there isn’t enough space to get his eight dogs into the emergency plane, but he knows it won’t be long before he’ll rescue them. The weather, though, has a different agenda…

Frank Marshall’s latest addresses notions of hardship, endeavour and loyalty without ladling on the mush. But it’s still dogged by padding and lumbered with too many subplots, improbabilities and contrived moments of tension. Despite all that, it’s heartwarming, occasionally exciting, and some of the cinematography is exemplary.