Alaska [VHS]
Director Fraser Heston captures the danger and beauty of Alaska in this  adventurous family film about two kids who embark on a very personal  rescue mission. Former 747 pilot Jake Barnes (Dirk Benedict) moved away from a fast-paced  Chicago lifestyle with his two children, Jessie and Sean, after the death  of his wife. While daughter Jessie thoroughly enjoys and excels in her  new surroundings, son Sean's moodiness and homesickness escalates. One  stormy night Jake's small plane crashes during an emergency flight,  leaving him stuck on a treacherous cliff with a broken leg and no radio.  The local search and rescue team soon gives up, prompting Sean and Jessie  to kayak, hike, canoe, and rappel their way over many lush and snowy miles  to save their dad.Younger kids will enjoy the antics of Cubby, the baby polar bear who  befriends the youthful trekkers and eventually leads them to their  father. They'll also enjoy the good-natured sibling rivalry between the  tough but tender-hearted Jessie (Thora Birch ofNow and Then) and  Sean (Vincent Kartheiser ofThe Indian in the Cupboard) and a chance  to hiss at the two evil poachers (including the director's father,  Charlton Heston). Parents, on the other hand, may feel compelled to  explain etiquette around wild animals, the dangers of hypothermia, and  how to pack for a long hike. But the scenic Cook's tour of Alaska and  British Columbia makes some of these otherwise corny elements tolerable to  grown-ups.--Liane Thomas