Disasters are part of our nature, but what comes of a disaster is a test to your willpower to survive, and sometimes maybe your faith. When a miracle occurs following the wake of a tragic event, a story almost always must be told. The courage and hardships of the Uruguayan rugby team in 1972 in the face of an ill-fated airline disaster is explicitly demonstrated here in this biographical adventure directed by Frank Marshall who is normally seen in the producer's chair for works by Touchstone. This film was set for development by Disney in the early 80s. But as Disney sparked disapproval for violent content in films, it wasn't until the founding of the Touchstone division to allow films of the lesser family-friendly. After all, the gruesome disaster images and occasionally earned the R-rating here. Based on true events involving bravery, determination, and survival; the film focuses on the 1972 Uruguayan Rubgy team along with some family members on a plane ride as they travel to Chile for a championship game. But when they reach through the Andes mountains, it's not long before the weather gets ugly and blizzards began arriving. Soon, the storm takes a toll on them when their plane crashes and shatters into the snowy fields of the Andes mountain range, killing several passengers. With scarce food supply and no available radio signal, the survivors are force to take extreme measures including cannibalism to survive the blistering subzero conditions until help arrives.Featuring a large ensemble cast of Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, Josh Hamilton, Bruce Ramsey, John Newton, David Kriegal, Kevin Breznahan, Sam Renhans, Illeana Douglas, Jack Noseworthy, Christian J. Neoli, Jake Carpenter, Michael DeLorenzo, Jose Zinuga, and a few others; the tense, survival adventure pulls no almost punches when depicting the horrifying disaster followed by the aftermath the team must endure. Powerfully capturing the fateful events on both a technical and narrative level, the film showcases a harrowing portrayal of the tragedy to left the rugby team and their family members fighting vigorously for their survival but questioning their spirituality. Following a solid narration from John Malvoich in the opening scene, viewers reach the film's highest point of intensity in one of the most graphic and authentic plane crash scenes ever encountered on film, with the half of the plane tearing to pieces and passengers sucked off-board, tossed around, and cut by debris resulting in their bloody injuries (or deaths). And after his heart-racing scene, the tension doesn't stop there. The story captures the punishing fight for survival with vast detail, exploring through gritty character studies including their distasteful experience of resourcing to using the dead as food, the physical brutality of the blistering cold temperatures, and the test of their faith. Contrary to many faith-based flicks, the film does a nice job as executing the religious aspect of the story effectively without making it heavy-handed or manipulative. But the movie's most powerful caliber lies in the emotional investment incorporated in the story. From the bonding between the team- turned family and their will to make it out alive hits hard and ignites a strong emotional core.Alive is a deeply moving tale of survival brought together by the ingenious efforts by director Frank Marshall. Blossoming with arresting performances, an inspiring screenplay, and a powerful message about surviving through harsh circumstances; this movie is a profound story that well deserved your attention, even if it the physical (and emotional) intensity packs a punch to your gut.

In 1972, the Uruguayan rugby team is flying to Chile to play a game. However, the plane from the Uruguayan Air Force with 45 persons crashes on the Andes Mountains and after the search party, they are considered dead. Two months after the crash, the sixteen survivors are finally rescued. Along the days, the starved survivors decide to eat flesh from the bodies of their comrades to survive. "Alive" is an impressive and timeless film based on a true event – the crash of a plane on the Andes in 1972. The screenplay is very well written, considering the dramatic and sensitive theme, and is respectful with the survivors. The performances are top-notch and the special effects seem to be ahead of time. The fight for survival of this group is amazing and shows what the man is capable to do in extreme situations. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Vivos" ("Alive")

Awesome is the word.You could feel what those survivors would have gone through when all of this happened to them.I read few reviews from critics where all they talk about are the flaws of signal failures and what not.Well- this is what happened and these people survived for so long.Great screenplay ,awesome direction ,even the music of the movie gives you hope.Alive leaves a lot to imagination but there is only so much you can do with the run time you get for a movie to be released in theaters.Alive might now work in today's day and age and some would rate it as slow and dull but not for me.I wont say its a master piece but its not "kill your time" movies. When you watch it you can't help but wonder what you would do in their situation?

You will be hard-pressed to find a more intense survival story than the one found in "Alive", which is even more impressive because it's all based on true events. I had heard a lot about this film, mostly about some of the more grisly details, but I was surprised to find how emotional and thrilling it was to watch nonetheless. The plot concerns a Uruguayan plane flying over the Andes. The passengers are rugby players in their early 20s and their coaches on their way to Chile. Suddenly, the plane crashes. The pilots are dead, the radio is useless, the supplies are scarce and it is very very cold. The survivors must find a way to survive against all odds, hoping that someone will find them in this frozen wasteland.If you've heard of this film, it's probably because of the cannibalism involved so I'm going to address that part first. Your instinct is probably to think that either the survivor situation turned into a "Lord of the Flies" type of thing where people started going crazy and eating each other, or that this is going to be something that borders on a horror film, with people's intestines being strung up over a fire like sausages. That isn't the case.Let me break down the scenario for you: The plane has crashed and there is very little food. People are eating a square of chocolate and a thimble of wine daily to make supplies last. Our heroes are scrambling to keep warm. People are dying from their injuries or from disease. Morale is way down and hope seems completely lost. Eventually, someone comes up with the idea of eating the bodies of those who have died. There's a big theme of religion in this film so some argue that once the soul leaves the body, there's nothing left but meat. Others argue (pretty sensibly) that it's an offense to the human body to even think of this. After some thought being put into it, some begin to relate the idea of giving up your flesh to save your friends as something akin to Jesus Christ telling his apostles that the bread they are eating at the last supper is his flesh, given up to save humanity. It's the most shocking part of the story, but it's not just a gimmick, it's a testament to the human will to survive.There's a lot more to this film than just the cannibalism, it really is a story about a group of being that refuse to give up hope. These are not soldiers on a mission that went wrong, or wildlife trackers used to doing whatever it takes to get back home, they're ordinary people. Surviving is about more than just finding food and shelter, it's about getting organized, keeping busy, finding ways to cope with the stress they're under. I liked seeing characters that were just as smart as me. Between the group of people there, you have some ingenious and creative minds that simply refuse to give up. Just on the level of ingenuity you have to applaud these people because you know a lot of people would have just given up.What's so exciting about the film is that these feel like real people. Usually in bad survival movies you always have one random lunatic thrown in the mix. A guy that wants to seize all the power for himself, that will go on a rampage and kill people he feels are "slowing down the group" or goes all rapist on the one female character because so many screenwriters feel the need to have a villain in the film. It isn't the case here. The enemy is despair and the mountain. The heroes are the survivors. It's a test of endurance, a battle of wits and a tremendous underdog story. The film juggles a lot of characters but you do feel like you get to know the key ones and you get a feel for the group as well. As the number of survivors dwindles I did get emotional about it. I sort of knew where the movie was going, but that didn't make it any less powerful to me.Initially I didn't have any problems with the film at all, but in retrospect I do have to surrender to the fact that despite the film being consistently exciting and kind of awe-inspiring. "Alive" doesn't really capture the full effect of the story. One might argue that it would be impossible to transfer the gravity of such an event into a 2-hour film, but if there's a flaw, that's it. Because these are actors that the director chose not to starve and because you can't really convey the utter despair you would feel after weeks of being stuck in the wreckage of a plane, surrounded by dead bodies it does feel like there is something missing. That said, it's as good as it's going to get The performances are solid, the special effects are terrific, there's real gravity in the situations. I found it to be thrilling, moving and fascinating to watch. The premise of "Alive" sounds ghoulish, but this is not a gimmicky exploitation movie, it's a stirring adventure and a drama whose story will stick with you. (On DVD, May 18, 2014)