4/5 Solid movie; a must see for historical purposes
  by Harry M. Shin (Livermore, CA USA)
1. I've read the various books on the Shackleton expedition.

2. While no movie can cover all of the detail that occurred on the expedition, this movie comes close. It's well acted, the storyline is true and it's one of those movies where it's just plain important for folks to watch this movie so as to know one of the most amazing survival stories out there.

4/5 Shackleton DVD Review
  by Valerie Garner
This movie is a true life account of a dedicated young explorer of the Antarctic region, with so many obstacles to overcome, even just to make the voyage, it's unbelievable.

A story of survival and a man's great courage, dedication and leadership to his team that will truly inspire.

I highly recommend this movie if you like true stories and stories of winter survival and human grit.

5/5 Great Movie
  by G. Sprayberry (Idaho)
We watched this movie on T.V.(true story) and was so impressed with it that when I saw it was on DVD I just had to buy it. I also purchased one for my Brother for Christmas, it was that good.

5/5 The best laid plans of mice and men.......
  by William E. Crew (,Essex)
Excellent set. Those lads were made of stronger stuff than you see these days - hardship, deprivation, and endurance in our age mean having to set off without the latest mobile phone or SatNav!!

5/5 Grand adventure, excellent bonus features
  by T. Davis (Seattle, WA)
Kenneth Branagh brings his customary swagger to this portrayal of the British adventurer Ernest Shackleton, together with a first-class supporting cast. Perfectly arrayed in Edwardian period costumes and sets, the story starts with the Antarctic veteran and lecturer learning that Roald Amundson has become the first person to reach the South Pole. He decides to one-up the Norwegian with the first trans-Antarctic expedition. The film follows Shackleton as he raises money, selects a crew, and carries on a love affair that his wife discovers. But he soon leaves both wife and paramour for his irresistable compulsion to conquer the unknown.

Shackleton and his men travel to Argentina and thence to Antarctica via the aptly-named sailing ship Endurance. When it is trapped and then crushed by the ice, they set off with their dogs by foot, pulling lifeboats and supplies through ghastly weather until they can finally launch the boats and, though heroic efforts, reach land and eventual salvation. These scenes are interwoven with scenes at home in Britain, where friends and family wait anxiously and where rescue missions are proposed but never undertaken, as the ongoing carnage of World War I makes the fate of 28 men seem small by comparison.

Shackleton himself comes across as something of a glib promoter, an ambitious man drawn by fame and glory. Yet when his back is to the wall, he proves that he is not just a great explorer but also a great judge of character and an indomitable leader of men. His charisma and motivational abilities literally save his expedition-mates, allowing them to come home after three incredible years, long after most Britons have given them up for dead, with nary a life lost.

The script draws much of its dialog and detail from the diaries and letters of crewmen, who survived a harrowing journey through an amazing combination of strength, courage, and sheer determination. The production values are superb, worthy of a feature film, and the photography, based on the documentary photos and films of the expedition's photographer, is breathtaking. You truly feel the bitter cold and exhaustion of the men, and their survival seems nothing short of a miracle.

The first two discs in this three-disc set contains only the 206-minute made-for-television miniseries, without so much as a commentary or a subtitle, but the third disc holds three worthwhile documentaries. The first is a 49-minute presentation entitled "Breaking the Ice: The Making of Shackleton," the second a 43-minute biography called "Ernest Shackleton: Looking South," and the third a 92-minute history special: "Antarctica: A Frozen History." A profile of Kenneth Branagh rounds out the disc.

I heartily recommend this gripping, inspiring, educational set.