Alaska

Rating:
Summary: Alaska : Decent Adventure Fare
Review: ALASKA is a good ol', straight forward, adventure film reminiscent of the type of programming shown on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY tv anthology show back in the 60's and 70's. Good,solid, family entertainment with great location shots of the Alaskan wilderness. While delivering supplies, bush pilot Jake Barnes' (Dirk Benedict) plane is downed during a snow storm. Then, his son and daughter, Sean and Jessie, (Vincent Kartheiser and Thora Birch) take it upon themselves to find him and trek through the remote Alaskan wilderness and rivers. They run into two poachers (Perry and Ben) and let loose an illegally captive baby polar bear. The cub immediately 'adopts' the two kids as his new friends and follows them on their trek. Not too complicated, but entertaining nontheless with some narrow escapes and decent action sequences along with some light emotional scenes. Good to see actor Dirk Benedict (A-TEAM, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) doing some work along with veteran Charlton Heston in an uncharacteristic villian role as one of the poachers. He's probably in the film because his son Fraser C. Heston directed.

Rating:
Summary: Duh...this is a "Family Film", what more could you expect?
Review: ALASKA is a great "FAMILY MOVIE". And it may sound a little "lame" and "unrealistic" to some people but it's a movie that most kids will enjoy...even adults. ALASKA is about a brother and a sister who's family moved to a tiny island in Alaska after their mother died. Their father becomes a delivery pilot and goes off one day to deliver toliet paper, not knowing that there's a huge storm coming up (this is, of course, after the son and father just had a huge fight and after the son told the father he wished his father had died instead of his mother). When his jet plane crashes into the Alaskan wildnerness - actually into a huge mountain - and the kids realize that their father is missing. Even though the police say he's dead the next day because they can't find him, the son insists that his father is still alive and goes out to search for him...followed by his sister, who at first doesn't agree with his searching but goes after him anyway, claiming that she's the only one who knows how to survive out there. Anyway, while out searching, the two kids meet two poochers traveling alone. They find the poochers' camp site and find the polar bear cub, who's mother had been killed by the poochers. After they set the cub free, the baby cub starts following them as they go on in search for their father.

ALASKA is a really great film, although like in many kids' movies, it's pretty predictable. Still, the casting is great with excellent acting. Also, the setting of the film looks very realistic...the scenary for the movie is amazing! (I don't know if they actually filmed the movie in Alaska...but it sure does look that way!) So even if you don't really care much for seeing this movie, you should at least check out the scenary of the movie because the scenary is incredible! Once again, a great film for all ages.

Rating:
Summary: Alaska: DANGEROUS Garbage for the Whole Family
Review: Any child who saw Alaska (purportedly a "family" flick), and who was actually old enough to understand that he was watching a movie and not having a bad dream, would have to be developmentally "challenged" to enjoy it. Family flick or not, this movie is a dud, insulting to the intelligence of anybody, young or old, who has any intelligence.

The premise is absurd and the plot line stupidly trite. The notion that children are actually going to mount any kind of meaningful search for a lost adult without getting instantly confused and lost themselves, and then perishing in the wilderness, is just plain dumb. Also, the flick is loaded with gags and theatrical stunts so old and worn out they stink. At no point does Alaska provide for the suspension of disbelief required for a movie to actually engage the viewer in an interesting way.

The worst part of Alaska is the incessant grunting, whimpering, whining, simpering and patently obnoxious nonsensical cuteness of the leading animal character, a polar bear cub named "cubby." (God, how original and miraculously cute "CUBBY!!" And never mind that "Alaska" was filmed IN CANADA and NOT in true polar bear habitat which is sea ice, sea shore or tundra, NOT forested mountains!) In fact, this movie actually makes you hope that the "bad" guys will show up and blast "cubby" to smitherines, the sooner the better.

But the cinematic agony is not the worst of it! Nooooo! This movie is actually enough to convince kids that wild, and potentially dangerous animals are their cute and furry "friends." As I watched it I couldn't help thinking about a true life incident in Yellowstone Park some years ago where a woman (an alleged adult) put honey on the hands of one of her children to get a cute picture of a roadside bear licking it off. Yes, the child was attacked and nearly killed!! But of course, that was a black bear. Cubby, is a POLAR bear and would neeeever do anything like that!!

Alaska is a cheap, low quality flick; a demeaning pile of video trash that panders to adults who allow themselves to live in a dream world and who dangerously encourage their children to move in too.

Rating:
Summary: Greatly Impressed
Review: Finaly a movie to beat the "African Queen", for which I had a soft spot for many years. If it looks unrealistic, then all my favorite movies do. I know that if I were a teenager now it would have a great influence on me.

Rating:
Summary: A good movie with great visuals
Review: I can't believe that "Alaska" isn't getting better reviews than it is. A movie doesn't have to be one of the best ever to be a great movie. I thought it was a good all around movie. Two teens go on a search for their father after his plane crashes and the police show that they're not willing to search for him as much as the kids think they should be. Along the way, the kids run into poachers and they find a friendly polar bear that follows them the rest of the way trying to protect them. They have to find their father and then figure out a way to rescue him.

"Alaska" works well as a good adventure movie and it realistically shows family drama at the beginning of the movie. Surprisingly, parts of it such as when the kids are trying to save their dad, are even exciting. All the way through the movie you'll see spectacular scenery, which goes along great with the plot. Myself, I liked "Alaska" and I don't see why a lot of people don't like it that much, except for maybe that they're expecting too much from the movie. Just don't watch "Alaska" and expect it to be like a movie blockbuster, just watch it like it's a regular Tv movie, and you should like it pretty well. I recommend this movie for anybody.

Rating:
Summary: A good movie with great visuals
Review: I can't believe that "Alaska" isn't getting better reviews than it is. A movie doesn't have to be one of the best ever to be a great movie. I thought it was a good all around movie. Two teens go on a search for their father after his plane crashes and the police show that they're not willing to search for him as much as the kids think they should be. Along the way, the kids run into poachers and they find a friendly polar bear that follows them the rest of the way trying to protect them. They have to find their father and then figure out a way to rescue him.

"Alaska" works well as a good adventure movie and it realistically shows family drama at the beginning of the movie. Surprisingly, parts of it such as when the kids are trying to save their dad, are even exciting. All the way through the movie you'll see spectacular scenery, which goes along great with the plot. Myself, I liked "Alaska" and I don't see why a lot of people don't like it that much, except for maybe that they're expecting too much from the movie. Just don't watch "Alaska" and expect it to be like a movie blockbuster, just watch it like it's a regular Tv movie, and you should like it pretty well. I recommend this movie for anybody.

Rating:
Summary: Just Plain Enjoyable
Review: I just saw Alaska tonight on Showtime and while it was a bit farfetched, I found it very enjoyable. Sometimes you have to see a movie that forgoes sex, violence, profanity and just tries to entertain. The bear was stretching it a bit. I doubt that any wild bear (or cub for that matter) would appear that tame. But hey, what the heck. Movies are escapism, right? Anyhow, if you want to watch an enjoyable movie with terrific scenery without being grossed out, check it out.

Rating:
Summary: ?Homefire to Niner Zero Niner Tango Over?
Review: Jake Barnes (Dirk Benedict) crashes his Piker Cub during a storm around Devil's Thumb in the Alaskan wilderness. His two children Jessie (Thora Birch) and Sean (Vincent Kartheiser) decide to find him themselves, when it seems the search and rescue are gong to give him up for dead. They rescue a captured bear cub earning its gratitude and the poacher's wrath. Between the poachers and coping with nature there are some harrowing moments.

Quite frankly, a great many of these reviewers really upset me because they devalue children and the potential contribution they could make. Nathan Futrell was only SEVEN YEARS old when he served as a drummer boy in the American Revolution. The music relayed the officer's commands, which made them targets; age didn't make a difference in a war. Now if he can do that, I certainly can believe that two children, one with survival training, can go on an expedition to rescue their father after his plane crashes.

The cinematography is breathtaking. This is a wonderful action adventure family movie that adults and children alike will enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: ¿Homefire to Niner Zero Niner Tango Over¿
Review: Jake Barnes (Dirk Benedict) crashes his Piker Cub during a storm around Devil's Thumb in the Alaskan wilderness. His two children Jessie (Thora Birch) and Sean (Vincent Kartheiser) decide to find him themselves, when it seems the search and rescue are gong to give him up for dead. They rescue a captured bear cub earning its gratitude and the poacher's wrath. Between the poachers and coping with nature there are some harrowing moments.

Quite frankly, a great many of these reviewers really upset me because they devalue children and the potential contribution they could make. Nathan Futrell was only SEVEN YEARS old when he served as a drummer boy in the American Revolution. The music relayed the officer's commands, which made them targets; age didn't make a difference in a war. Now if he can do that, I certainly can believe that two children, one with survival training, can go on an expedition to rescue their father after his plane crashes.

The cinematography is breathtaking. This is a wonderful action adventure family movie that adults and children alike will enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: What Mush,,,
Review: Low budget, weak story of two kids who must try to save their dad after his plane crashes in the mountains. featureing Dirk Benedict (who hasn't done much acting since A-Team,and a moody Charlton Heston (not his best performance) and a baby polar bear, that get's on your nerves so much, you wish an adult polar bear would come along and make people burgers out of this whole awful cast of actors.