Alive

I had been putting off this adventure film for a long time. I finally got around to it. I must admit that the depiction of the crash is truly meticulous (considering the film was made over 30 years ago), it really took my breath away. The acting was also fine, but I do have one comment: At times, the film’s excessive polish was quite striking (which is likely influenced by the American production). I’m looking forward even more to the Spanish version that came out earlier this year on Netflix (and from the initial footage, it looks much more naturalistic). Don’t get me wrong. Frank Marshall certainly delivered a quality cinematic product. Just don’t expect a genre-defining hit, or you might be mildly disappointed. I give it a 7/10. (2024-01-31)

Impressive in its time, perhaps a bit shocking, as there were relatively few of these narrative survival films until the early 1990s, and those few were only marginally impressive due to poor technical quality. Even here, there is an annoying rear projection and a few other ailments, but the impressive cinematography and the riveting Andes do their job. The bland pacing and many dull scenes, on the other hand, bring it down to average, and you basically tiptoe around the film's biggest highlight. It has lost its urgency and luster over time, but it's still solid filmmaking with a damn serious theme based on a true story. And it also stars Ethan Hawke and Lionel Messi! (2016-10-10)

A solid cannibal survival drama involving a very intense plane crash and the stranding of several members of a rugby team in very cold and freezing weather. Courage and ingenuity follow us throughout the film and the film also beautifully illustrates the fact that only the strongest individuals survive in the wild. I liked most of the members and I was rooting for them. A well-deserved four stars. 75% (2015-01-11)

A well-known story of an air crash with action sequences that are a throwback to the 1990s. But the rest is a bit boring and dull and isn’t salvaged by the few callous shots which, like it or not, had to appear due to the topic of the story. (2018-10-24)

A movie that many people will probably remember from television. It’s a story about how sometimes survival means doing something that a person wouldn't normally do. Sure, it heavily relies on emotions, sometimes unnecessarily so, but it's still a powerful story about how if a person wants to, they can cope with the consequences of fate. Unfortunately, not everyone can survive. (2016-07-28)