Rating of
2.5/4
I'll Never Go Mountain Climbing
Unknown - wrote on 09/24/15
'Everest' is essentially a disaster flick that happens to be based on real events. The film is presented as more of a survival piece, rather than a straight up thriller. That survival comes closer to the end. The rest is a long setup that uses all it's time to show just how you go about climbing Everest. Lots of preparation procedure to sit though before the adventure. We get to see much of the surface area of the mountain, which helps us not get lost in the latter half when the crap hits the fan for the climbers. Extreme harsh conditions are shown realistically, ensuring my former belief that an expedition such as this is wise to avoid. The visuals are quite awesome. The mix of practical and CG is seamless. This offers excellent use of the IMAX 3D format. It definitely adds to the experience. Without it, you could see the flaws more clear. Characters aren't ever explored outside of singular defining traits. A select few are shown more prominently due to the fact that they have families waiting at home. Obvious crying scenes develop from this. Their grueling fight against the elements carries great strife, but (the lucky ones) eventual survival isn't as satisfactory as I'd hoped. A huge cast of recognizable actors get lost in the process of putting the audience on the mountain. Recommended for IMAX viewing only. It won't have the same impact in any other format.
