<P> The 1958 ill - fated Japanese expedition to Antarctica inspired the 1983 hit film Antarctica, of which Eight Below is a remake . Eight Below adapts the events of the 1958 incident, moved forward to 1993 . In the 1958 event, fifteen Sakhalin Husky sled dogs were abandoned when the expedition team was unable to return to the base . When the team returned a year later, two dogs were still alive . Another seven were still chained up and dead, five were unaccounted for, and one died just outside Showa Station . </P> <P> The film was dedicated to the memory of Koreyoshi Kurahara, the director of Antarctica, who died four years before it was released . </P> <P> In Eight Below there are two Alaskan Malamutes (Buck and Shadow) and six Siberian Huskies (Max, Maya, Truman, Dewey, Shorty, and Old Jack). Each actor - dog had help from other dogs that performed stunts and pulled sleds . In all, over 30 dogs were used to portray the film's eight canine characters . Max, Maya, Dewey, and Buck (Old Jack's stunt double) were played by dogs seen in Disney's Snow Dogs . The animal filming was supervised by the American Humane Association, and the film carries the standard "No animals were harmed ..." disclaimer, despite an on - set incident in which a trainer used significant force to break up an animal fight . </P> <P> On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 72%, based on 146 reviews . The site's critical consensus reads, "Featuring a stellar cast of marooned mutts, who deftly display emotion, tenderness, loyalty and resolve, Eight Below is a heartwarming and exhilarating adventure film ." Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun - Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, and said "Eight Below succeeds as an effective story ." BBC liked the movie as well, but did not like its long length (2 hours). Reel.com liked it, saying "the movie succeeds at drawing you into their incredible adventure". However, the San Francisco Chronicle disliked the film, saying: "The movie is overly long and much too intense for small children, yet it's filled with dialogue and plot turns that are too juvenile to thrill adult audiences ." William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reacted favorably ("the dog actors will melt your heart"), but pointed out, as did other reviewers, that "Antarctica buffs" will be critical of errors, such as portraying midwinter events occurring in "balmy, blazing daylight at a time Antarctica is locked in round - the - clock darkness and temperatures of 140 degrees below ." </P>

What are the names of the dogs in eight below