Check out our review of Alaska - is it any good and how suitable is it for kids?

A Dog's Purpose Poster


Starring: Starring Thora Birch, Vincent Kartheiser, Dirk Benedict, Charlton Heston. (PG)

Release date: 1996

3 out of 5


Kids brave the elements to save their missing dad in this adventure story. When pilot Jake Barnes’s (The A-Team’s Benedict) small plane crashes, leaving him stuck on a cliff with no radio and a wounded leg, his two kids, Sean and Jessie (Mad Men’s Kartheiser and Birch), decide to find him themselves after the rescue teams give up. Along the way they befriend Cubby, a gorgeous baby polar bear, and also have to shield him from the evil poacher (a hammy Heston) after the cub for his fur.
Directed by Fraser Heston (son of Charlton), this has a bit of a hokey plot (the kids don’t get along, but after some bickering on their trek you know it’s all going to end in a big group hug), but the stunning scenery (actually British Columbia) more than makes up for it. Best of all is the performance of Agee, the bear who plays Cubby and steals every scene from the more experienced human actors. Parents should note that young viewers may be very upset by a scene in which Cubby is caged and one of the horrible poachers waves the head of his dead mother in front of him. 

Is Alaska suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

As mentioned above, the scenes involving the poachers are distressing to watch.
There are a few life-threatening situations for both children and bear that may upset younger viewers.

If you like this, why not try: A Far Off Place, Balto, Eight Below, Far From Home: The Adventures Of Yellow Dog, Milo And Otis,