Review of Everest (2015) by A.x. P — 05 Oct 2015

Everest is the tragic true story of an expedition climb up the harrowing mountain that turned deadly fast and is easily the best-looking mountain climbing film I've ever seen. This is a big step for director Baltasar Kormákur, who up until this point has only made so-so crime thrillers but he truly stepped his game up and the production values on this film are so good, I never once doubted the actors were actually up there.

The cast is stellar with the likes of Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Watson, Robin Wright, John Hawkes, Keira Knightley, and Josh Brolin; the latter two being the highlights! Of course, the real star of the show is the mountain itself, and if you have the opportunity, see it on the biggest screen you can and in 3D because the visuals are jaw-dropping and you can't believe anyone would ever want to endure such a feat.

The script does a great job early-on educating the viewers on the dangers of attempting to summit the mountain, how our bodies aren't built to survive such temperatures, and how quickly the weather can turn from peaceful to deadly; which was fascinating to observe.

Being based on a true story, many may go into this knowing the outcome as the events took place back in 1996, but it does not hinder the emotional impact of the characters' fight for survival against the perilous cold.

As for faults, there are a few too many characters to keep track of and thus you're not invested in everyone's life and you never feel the impact of any of the deaths as some of them happen so fast you'll blink and miss it.

Regardless, this is an excellent survival movie that is well-made, well-acted, and 100% convinced me I'm never attempting that!