'Will' will set your hear! racing By Patricia Bibby Associated Press SAY what you like about "Iron Will" that it's corny and predictable it's still an irresistibly sweet and upbeat adventure and if it doesn't make your heart pound a little faster, call a cardiologist. TThis is a Disney film through and through: A story of a young man facing impossible odds, his loving mother, a few nefarious types, and the requisite adorable animals, in this case sled dogs. But the old Disney magic works. Set in 1917 and based on a true story, it's the tale of Will Stoneman (Mackenzie Astin), a teen-ager who sets out to win a cross-country sled dog race from Winnipeg, Canada to St. Paul, Minn. With a $10,000 prize, Will has more than pride riding on the outcome of the race. He desperately needs the cash after his father dies in a sledding accident, leaving the fate of the family farm Iron Will Rated PG Opens Friday, tentatively at Aikahi, Kahala, Kam Drive-In, Nanakuli and Pearlridge. in jeopardy. Will also needs the money for college. The last straw is when his mother decides to sell off the beloved family sled dogs to make ends meet When Will's father somberly intones in the beginning, "Don't let fear stand in the way of your dreams, son," we know that this will become the young man's mantra throughout the race. And indeed it does. So off to Winnipeg he goes with his trusty pack of huskies in tow, including the lead dog, the snow-white Gus. Part of Will's mission is to win over Gus and to get the dog to respect him like the pooch once behaved for his father. Only Disney could give its lead character an on-going, meaningful relationship with a dog and make it work. But before the race even begins there are obstacles. First, there's a registration glitch and Will almost doesn't get to enter. He's saved by enterprising newspaper reporter Harry Kingsley (Kevin Spacey), who decides to sponsor him. Kings-ley, bitter, jaded and cynical, sniffs a good human-interest story for his American readership with the fresh-faced idealistic musher. Then there are the race's other competitors, a towering lot of brawny men who make football players look anemic. In fact, it seems everything eventually conspires against Will the harsh bitter cold, the evil maneuvers of another competitor, his own inner fear during the arduous 522-mile marathon trip. Despite a few down-to-the-fin-ish-line thrills and spills, there's little mystery as to how this film ends. Still, you'll find yourself cheering and enjoying a delicious case of goosebumps.