Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Disney Movie •••½ Picture/Sound ••••½ Extras ••½

Eight Below is set in Antarctica, so the main color in 70% of this exciting sled-dogs movie is white. There's no whiteout, however; thanks to a detailed transfer, every crevasse and fissure in the snowbanks and icebergs is well-delineated. You can even see individual flakes on the bushy coats of the canines. In keeping with the visuals, the sound mix is clear and crisp. Music and dialogue are kept in the front channels, while the surrounds are reserved for the sounds of wind and other atmospheric effects, which greatly heighten the feeling of cold. The extras - two commentaries (each with director Frank Marshall and a member of the production crew), deleted scenes, a short featurette - are okay, but they don't amount to much. The movie is the thing here, and it delivers fine entertainment. [PG] English, French, and Spanish, Dolby Digital 5.1; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.

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