Family audiences are in for a treat with this live-action Disney adventure from Alive director Frank Marshall. A canine-centred thrill ride about friendship, loyalty and survival, the film is essentially a remake of the reality-based 1983 Japanese blockbuster Nankyoku Monogatari (aka Antarctica). In a likeable performance, Paul Walker plays the guide to a group of Antarctic researchers who has developed a close bond with his eight skilled sled dogs. Narrowly escaping a fatal accident, thanks to their help, he's devastated when treacherous weather conditions force the whole team to evacuate, leaving his "kids" stranded in the frozen wilds. The beautifully shot scenes that unfold, as the resourceful mutts battle to stay alive for more than six months, calculatingly embrace every emotion, incorporating humour, pathos and - parents beware - unexpected scares. It's an exciting and enthralling mix, only slumping when the tale cuts back to Walker trying to put together a rescue mission in America.

In the Antarctic, after an expedition with Dr. Davis McClaren, the sled dog trainer Jerry Shepherd has to leave the polar base with his colleagues due to the proximity of a heavy snow storm. He ties his dogs to be rescued after, but the mission is called-off and the dogs are left alone at their own fortune. For six months, Jerry tries to find a sponsor for a rescue mission.