EVEREST (2015)

Genre: Adventure/Drama
Running Length: 2:01
Cast: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Watson, Kiera Knightley, Michael Kelly, Naoko Mori, Sam Worthington
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Screenplay: William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy

"Mother Nature may be forgiving this year, or next year, but eventually she's going to come around and whack you." Geraldo Rivera 

 

Do not be tricked into thinking that EVEREST will leave you breathless with stunning visuals and edge-of-your-seat suspense. At least that's what the trailer attempts to communicate. This is no Cliffhanger action adventure movie. Yes, the visual of Mount Everest is majestic, but this movie is more of a man-versus-nature genre. The film reminds us again that mother nature doesn't care about heroism, kindness, friendship, your family or your pregnant wife. She doesn't play by the rules.

 

Based on a true story, this film chronologized a group of climbers' expedition to the mountain's summit in 1996. Of course, not everyone made it down safely. So if you've no prior background to what really happened (who made it, and who didn't), please leave it that way when you walk into the cinema. The emotional payout will be better. 

 

And speaking of that, this movie needs to be experienced on the big screen and not on TV or worse, a tablet/phone. As good as the top notch cast are (given that their characters are fairly one-dimensional), the true stars of the movie are the director of photography, the visual effects people and of course, the mountain ranges. Audience will certainly feel like they are right there, experiencing the somber tragedy of the mountain slowly becoming the executioner and tomb for certain climbers. Although I caught the movie on the normal 2-D version, I'm pretty sure the IMAX 3D version would be more immersive.

 

As one of the characters in the movie said, "The mountain will always have the last say". 

 

Rating: 8/10