Alive (1993)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  A thrilling true story of survival, Alive is a good film with a good cast. The film is a must see, but compared to other survivalist films, is not excellent by any means. I felt that some of the dialogue was cheesy, and that the script at times didn't. Frank Marshall's… More
  A thrilling true story of survival, Alive is a good film with a good cast. The film is a must see, but compared to other survivalist films, is not excellent by any means. I felt that some of the dialogue was cheesy, and that the script at times didn't. Frank Marshall's directing is clumsy at times, but he's able to direct something consistent most of the time. Alive could have been much better than this, but it somehow succeeds at delivering everything you'd expect from a survival drama, even with its imperfections. This is a good film about the courage of the human spirit, and though it isn't perfect, it's an entertaining film that is a remarkable story, however considering that, it could have been better. Some parts of the film are cheesy, and tend to go for the feel good factor too often. Alive could have been a great film, one to remember, however as a whole it ends up just being a good film, instead of the great film that it tried to be. There's just something missing from this film to really make it a standout survival drama film. I think that the script is slightly undeveloped and could have been better than what it turned out to be. Nonetheless, this is a good film with a good cast who deliver some good performances, but it does lack sometimes, and feels almost cheesy despite the subject matter. I think that the film could have been a bit more authentic in the way the events unfolded, and that the filmmakers could have toned down the traditional Hollywood drama, and presented the full facts. Despite its flaws, Alive is still a film worth seeing.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"I'm proud to be a man on a day like this."</i> Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the snow swept Andes are forced to use desperate measures to survive after a plane crash. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"I'm proud to be a man on a day like this."</i> Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the snow swept Andes are forced to use desperate measures to survive after a plane crash. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Frank Marshall's film adaptation of the book recounting the 1972 plane crash in the Andes of a Uruguayan soccer team is a long (try about 2 and 3/4 hours) film that spares little in the grueling endurance test that the surviving members of the crash face. It was (in 1993) populated by a mostly nameless cast in a deft move by producers to keep the characters involved central to the story. Ethan Hawke is about the biggest name in this film,and even though his character carries much of the weight of the movie's storyline, the group effort to endure and ultimately survive this trial is still the true focus here. To me, this film was very difficult to watch, and the cannibalism storyline (which is dealt with very tastefully and soberly) is not my primary reason for that. As mentioned before, it is a long and detailed recount, where you the audience feel the shock, pain, expectations, dashed hopes, fears, tragedies, soul-searching, grief and (finally) joy of everyone involved. It is a gut-wrenching experience all around and I dare anyone who sees this film and pays any attention to it to say otherwise.

• Film C

  
  Ok its sad what happened to those that this actually happened to , but the movie is just so boring!!i don think it fully capture what those people actuallly had to o hrough and how they must of felt !! Some of te characters actuallly annoy me and i wouldnt have been able to put up… More
  Ok its sad what happened to those that this actually happened to , but the movie is just so boring!!i don think it fully capture what those people actuallly had to o hrough and how they must of felt !! Some of te characters actuallly annoy me and i wouldnt have been able to put up with them

• Tim S

  
  I kinda dug this one.

• Jason O

  
  "Alive" is the compelling true story of a Uruguayan rugby team who's plane crashes, stranding them in the Andes Mountains. They have to find a way to survive the chilling cold weather until they find a way to get back home. "Alive" has many dramatic sequences… More
  "Alive" is the compelling true story of a Uruguayan rugby team who's plane crashes, stranding them in the Andes Mountains. They have to find a way to survive the chilling cold weather until they find a way to get back home. "Alive" has many dramatic sequences such as when the people who are still alive have to eat parts of the dead people in order not to starve. There are also many turning points such as the survivors finding out that the search has been called off. I recommend "Alive" to anybody that likes captivating true stories about survival. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000. One of the best true stories of all time.

• Robert C

  
  A surprisingly gripping recount of the mind-boggling ordeal faced by the survivors of a plane crash, deep in the heart of the Andes mountains. The liberties that appear to have been taken (for the sake of a more viewer friendly / homogonized story) are easy to overlook knowing that… More
  A surprisingly gripping recount of the mind-boggling ordeal faced by the survivors of a plane crash, deep in the heart of the Andes mountains. The liberties that appear to have been taken (for the sake of a more viewer friendly / homogonized story) are easy to overlook knowing that the core of the film is based on facts which the average person could never truly fathom. While some of the acting and dialog is rather weak...it is still a riveting look at an event that is hard to imagine, much less believe.

• Bobby H

  
  The true story about a Uruguayan rugby team that goes down in the Andes in a plane crash. 45-people try to bare the cold, possible starvation, injuries, and the emotional and mental struggles that they find themselves in as they fight for there lives for nearly 2-months. When the… More
  The true story about a Uruguayan rugby team that goes down in the Andes in a plane crash. 45-people try to bare the cold, possible starvation, injuries, and the emotional and mental struggles that they find themselves in as they fight for there lives for nearly 2-months. When the rest of the world has gave up looking for them; there hope and will to survive rages on. This is a true movie about survival , about the human will to live, and about life and death. It's one of the greatest movies I have seen and I think a must see for anyone who cherishes there lives and is simply proud to be "Alive"

• Candy R

  
  Excellent movie about survival.

• Lafe F

  
  Spectacularly scary plane crash scene. The survivors are trapped on a snowy mountain peak with the wreck, and they have to eat what's available. They handled this subject delicately. I don't really care much for dramas or serious flesh-eating.

• Lady D

  
  This film was enough to put me off eating meat for a while! Worth a watch, but don't want to watch it again

• Ross C

  
  Classic tale of a rugby team forced to canibalism after a plane crash in the snowy Andes.

• Dean M

  
  Extraordinary true story of the college of rugby team survivors who fought for survival in horrendous conditions in the Andes after plane crash. And I couldn't stand the 'cannibalism' scene.

• Dillon L

  
  A lot of the acting is sloppy, but the true story adaption of the Andes Mountains incident is inspirational through the teamwork and hope displayed.

• Sean N

  
  Based on the actual events that happened from October to December 1972, Alive follows a group of passengers from Montevideo, Uruguay (a majority of the group being part of a rugby team) who get stranded in the Andes when their plane crashes there after getting caught in bad weather.… More
  Based on the actual events that happened from October to December 1972, Alive follows a group of passengers from Montevideo, Uruguay (a majority of the group being part of a rugby team) who get stranded in the Andes when their plane crashes there after getting caught in bad weather. With little amounts of food in the snowy mountains, the survivors have to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. This is another movie I've seen after learning about the events behind it in school. This is a film that hasn't gotten much viewing from critics on this site and that doesn't feel right because this was a really good movie in the drama genre. Pros: *The cast was well picked for this movie and I'm saying this even though I don't really know a lot of the actors who were in this movie. The only ones I really knew were Ethan Hawke who played Nando and John Malkovich who speaks in the opening and closing of the film. Even though the cast was rather unknown to me, they did a fine job. *The overall spirit displayed in this movie is done really well. I think its safe to say that movies like this are generally going to be good. I mean, I am writing this review the same time that film about that hiker Aron Ralston, 127 Hours, has come out and it has received critical acclaim. Cons: *I didn't really mind the casting even though it attracted some controversy. Same thing happened with The Last Airbender this year (believe or not, the director of Alive produced Last Airbender (good reason for me using this reference). The biggest problem I saw with this movie is its slight inconsistency. Generally, if someone is 'trapped' in a perilous situation for many days, weeks, or even months, they are generally going to be looking like they've been through hell. Here, it just looks like they were living in luxury because aside from the men growing beards, there was no indication from their overall look that the survivors were in a bad situation and were suffering. The situation is the only real thing that describes what they are going through. Even with that somewhat major gripe, Alive is an excellent film and one of the best survival films I have ever seen. It is just one of those movies that displays strong will, spirit, and character that some movies don't show. In all, it is one of the finest of the early 90's.

• Nicolas K

  
  A story challenging the human spirit, the struggle to stay alive... A real story impossible to forget.

• Marcus W

  
  A lot is made of the "cannibalism" aspect, but it's not such a big deal in the film. What's impressive is the courage and determination that managed to keep them alive for two months - surviving an avalanche, and unholy minus degrees. So, yes they do eat the dead,… More
  A lot is made of the "cannibalism" aspect, but it's not such a big deal in the film. What's impressive is the courage and determination that managed to keep them alive for two months - surviving an avalanche, and unholy minus degrees. So, yes they do eat the dead, but there's much more to it than that.

• Brett W

  
  This is like my recurring dream where I'm at an all-you-can-eat buffet and every dish is Ethan Hawke's face staring back at me.

• Lee K

  
  Great story of heroism that i have ever seen, And being forced to eat human flesh to keep alive, unbelivable but true!

• Leo L

  
  This is one of my all-time favorites. Everytime I watch this film, I have a deeper appreciation, compassion, and understanding for those who went through the ordeal.

• Rose G

  
  i had mixed feeling about this film. the whole cannibalism thing really put me off but i coundn't help but empathize with the characters...it definitely sparks a debate between morality and survival.

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