Review of Alive (1993) by John E — 12 Jul 2009

Sometimes one must forgive a movie for its flaws because of the overall effect it gives in the end... and throughout. "Alive" is no Werner Herzog epic where cast and crew risk life and limb (see "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" among others).

.. but I set aside cliche Hollywood superficialities, like these characters despite desperately trying to survive still looked unusually healthy month after month, and certain parts of the landscape looked suspiciously like coniferous California, not South America.

(I'm not sure where it was filmed). But that aside, "Alive" tells a great story of survival. A team of Rugby players and their family members fly over South America, the plane crashes high up there in the gargantuan, isolated Andes Mts.

, and the rest is history. It's all in what these characters do, how they act in such desperate man vs. nature situations, how they work as a team (and director Frank Marshall gives us good characters here, like a looney mechanic incapable of helping others).

So what surprises come there way, just what must they end up doing to survive? See the movie. I saw it ages ago in theaters back when I was in 5th grade, and just saw it again last night. It's that kinda movie.

Props to the screenplay writer as well, who wrote with philosophical depth, and nicely-timed humor.