Shackleton MPAA Rating: G Entertainment: +3 Content: +4

For a real thriller movie, forget Hannibal the Cannibal and take the family to the closest IMAX theater for the stunning documentary, SHACKLETON'S ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE. Filmed on location, it's the true story of 27 scientists, officers and seamen led by Sir Ernest Shackleton on an expedition to explore Antarctica in 1914. Setting sail from London in the well-named "Endurance," the sturdy ship arrives three months later to the stark, mysterious continent surrounding the South Pole. Drifting among ice floes and harrowing icebergs, the Endurance becomes trapped by pack ice, forcing the explorers to endure intense hardships as they struggle to survive, stranded and lost for 17 months. Breathtaking scenery, suspense and heroic deeds keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Children 10 and older, teenagers and adults, will find ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE an unforgettable experience.

Viewers aren't bombarded with foul language, gratuitous violence, sex or crude bathroom humor as they become mesmerized by the wonder of God's creation and the resilience of the human spirit. Journal entries made by various crew members reflect their admiration and respect for Shackleton, a leader who remains focused on saving every crew member's life. The crew spends 497 days on the Endurance before standing on solid ground. A makeshift camp built on ice, a diet of penguin and seal meat, living in frozen clothes in sub-zero weather does not break their spirit or destroy their hope. Shackleton sets out with four others on a small lifeboat for an 800-mile treacherous journey to South Georgia Island to get help for his near-starving men. But they have to scale ice-packed mountains to reach the other side of the remote island where a whaling station is located. These men's courage and bravery through incredible obstacles make TV's popular SURVIVOR seem shallow indeed.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: WGBH Enterprises, Giant-Screen Films, Boston MA