When a dangerous storm approached, an Antarctic expedition was forced to leave the ice-covered continent quickly, leaving its sled dogs behind. The dogs fended for themselves for months while the expedition's dog handler tried to get back to them. Ultimately, many of the dogs didn't make it.

		"Eight Below" Rating: PG for some peril and brief mild language n Starring: Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood Director: Frank Marshall Greenwood fought the elements to inject reality into movie Post-Gazette Family Film Guide review of 'Eight Below' "Eight Below" Web site

That's what really happened. The story was slightly fictionalized in the 1983 Japanese film "Nankyoku Monogatari," which became a blockbuster there. Hollywood producer David Hoberman passed the idea to screenwriter David DiGilio and asked him to give it the Disney treatment.

The film arm of the company has always done at least one thing very well: Since Walt's days, Disney has understood the importance of the family unit to its young audience and knows how emotionally overwhelming it can be to watch graphic depictions of family abandonment, how devastating it can be for kids to blame themselves for it and how warm it feels to be reunited. No one does patricide and matricide better than Disney.

Predictably, the Disney-fied remake starts with the formation of a family unit. In the case of "Eight Below," the "family" is a tightly knit American base-camp crew stationed at a small Antarctic outpost. When a scientist arrives from the States and wants to explore a remote area, the leader of the sled-dog team takes him there against his better judgment and saves his life when the ice breaks.

After establishing the heroic nature of Jerry the dog handler (Paul Walker) and his eight canine friends, "Eight Below" turns sharply with a tragic twist. With a storm setting in, the camp is evacuated. There is no room on the chopper, and the dogs are left behind.

Director Frank Marshall spends most of the film's 120 minutes telling two separate but interrelated stories: Depressed over the loss of his sled team, Jerry spends months trying to get back to Antarctica to rescue them; confused over their abandonment, the dogs fend for themselves through a bitter Antarctic winter.

Through strong storytelling and film craft, DiGilio maximizes the humanity of the men and anthropomorphizes the actions of the animals. It's yet another Disney film about the devastating loss of family, tragic death, overwhelming guilt, jubilant reunion, ultimate forgiveness and the joy of acceptance. Walker is well-cast as a young, good-looking survivalist who never gives up on his dogs, even as he gives up on building a lasting relationship with a cute young pilot (Moon Bloodgood). "American Wedding's" Jason Biggs provides comic relief as a neurotic young cartographer.

"Young" is a key word in cast descriptions. The only older people in the film are the single-minded scientist (Bruce Greenwood) who forces the dilemma in the first place and the base-camp leader who orders that the dogs be left behind. Young, cute and best of friends -- kids love that. Children 10 and older will appreciate the thrill of occasional intense peril and connect with the tear-jerking loss of loved ones. Two hours of emotional intensity might be a bit much for younger kids.