Everest

Everyone you develop a fondness for gets in big trouble. That is Everest’s only dramaturgical ambition. An IMAX marketing product that uses only half of the IMAX screen with its widescreen format. The script is purely average without any memorable dialogue, moments or characters. The excellent international cast has practically nothing to do, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, which we looked forward to most, gets only about three times more space than in the trailer. However, the visuals are nice and the Everest environment authentic, and the footage of the famous passage below the Hillary step is impressive. The key weapon in the film’s arsenal is the intensity of the whirlwind, which shoves you back in your seat in a cinema with a high-quality sound system (such as Dolby Atmos). Commendably, the film does not embellish reality, avoids pathos and is not dragged down by its own stupidity (Vertical Limit). But all of this is also true of Nordwand, which is not a rushed studio hit but, with narrative enthusiasm and interest in the characters, describes a historically more significant and dramatic climb on the Swiss Eiger (which is a completely different level of climbing than the “walk” up Everest). (22/09/2015)

After a second screening (and having learned about the making of this film), I'm pretty clear: the production values of Kormákur’s film are breathtaking. Whether it's the visuals, the actual locations where it was filmed, the plethora of great special effects that are naturally incorporated into the picture so that you don't even recognize them, and behind all of that there is a subtle tribute to the guys for whom mountains are everything. We can make a comparison here with, for example, the rather dumb Vertical Limit, where the mountains are just a vehicle for stupid stunts that are a laughing stock for real climbers. Everest, in contrast, has a real believable dimension and yet it is deep and human. The fact that you may think mountaineers are weirdos with obsessive compulsive behavior who gamble with their lives is actually pretty irrelevant, petty, and just your problem. Everest can proudly stand alongside some famous French mountaineering-themed films, which are pretty good on their own, and it’s certainly the best mountaineering film Hollywood has ever produced. (19/06/2016)

A precise survival drama with a fantastic cast that in some cases is too good given the few lines they have. The experiential capacity of the film is substantial. In some scenes it manages to grip and amaze, not only through the mountain setting, but also with the convincingly performed suffering of the leading characters. Things get unfortunately a little chaotic after some time with them covered in jackets and hoods and with the snow falling, they all look very similar and there were moments that I wasn’t really sure who was who. But overall, a recommending thumbs up. (26/09/2015)

A pleasantly civil, down-to-earth, and male spectacle (despite the presence of female elements) that wrings pathos from the fact that the protagonists are really hurting and the adrenaline pumps as if only in the background. This is because they die without grand gestures and the returns from the brink of death are dogged to the last breath. The casting couldn't be better because these actors cut through liters of emotion and personal feelings even over the phone, and in the audiovisual mode it's borderline hypnotic at times. I might have trimmed the more rambling first half a bit, but the second half is a pure action adventure that will have you locked in your seat by the time the credits roll. (24/09/2015)

There couldn’t be a better director for such a story than Baltasar Kormákur. In my opinion, there is no other European nation than the Icelandic nation more connected with nature, and therefore they could tell totally everything with such a story. But since Baltasar is an Icelander and what’s more a capable director, he took up the storywhere the actors play second fiddle and Everest itself really plays the main role. I gained a lot of respect for it right from the first minutes and as Baltasar had no less capable cameraman, I experienced not only respect, but I also enjoyed the endless sceneries that were absolutely flawless. And the best part was that digital technology is used so little that you won’t even notice it. This movie is a huge film experience that I won’t easily forget. In many scenes, it says more than any viewer can catch, and at the same time, it tries to tell that story from 1996 as it actually could have happened, in a raw and realistic manner. (22/10/2015)

Baltasar Kormákur knows how to make manly films and Hollywood obviously likes him. After the heist thriller Contraband and the action comedy 2 Guns, he's here with Everest, his most ambitious project yet. And he has succeeded. The director more or less ignores the pathetic scenes and tries to approach the story realistically. During the climb up the highest mountain in the world and the fight for life on the descent, we don't see scenes of a half-dressed hero holding his friend over a precipice with one hand and beating a chamois with the other. When there's dying, it's no bullshit. When there's a fight for life, it's over the top. And the fact that it's got really good actors makes it great to watch. (23/09/2015)

It is not an adaptation of Krakauer's well-known original "about the event", which will surprise many in a bad way. And it is even more surprising that it lacks any significant ambitions with regard to the creator and the cast. From the whole expedition we only get to know a trio "Hall - Texas guy - postman" properly. What is a biggest disappointment is that given that the disproportionately more interesting trio "Krakauer - Yasuko - Fischer" is clearly only a makeweight here (not to mention the other participants who are present only out of duty "because they were also there at the time" rather than playing a more significant role in the movie. The same goes for Sherpas. Likewise, what is completely ignored are the controversial topics surrounding Hall's and his company's involvement in this disaster “we get the people to the top even though they cannot make it". They failed to make proper preparation, and even at the top they made a bunch of incomprehensible decisions. The movie completely avoids any dark undertones what a person is capable of when things go wrong. And the fate of the three Indians who were caught by surprise by the same storm is not even mentioned. So, these are the weak points what this movie is not and what it is not about. What is more important is, however, what the movie is at the end of the day. And it's a damn successful manly adventure movie with Hollywood-style human warming emotions about the invincibility of the human spirit and with heartbreaking phone calls to the pregnant wife. Once you get it and understand that the main role is not played by the actors, but by the truly impressive camera (by the way, it was made in 3D after years again, which is not just a way to increase the ticket price, but an integral part of the experience; especially when watched in IMAX), showing the beauty of the Himalayas that will intoxicate you, you will really enjoy it. That is for sure. Yes, it's surprisingly cold not only in terms of atmosphere but also in terms for emotions and the first half is better than the second half that describes tragedy, but it doesn't matter that much, because it's still quite impressive and very intense, which is undoubtedly the best non-documentary climbing film of the last few years along with German Nordwand. (18/09/2015)

The journey to a place where the human body dies, in the story of people who knew very well how much they were risking, but still went for it. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less. And even though I don't understand the self-destructive behavior of the main heroes, thanks to the brilliant cast, I feel like I have at least glimpsed beyond the first summit. The intensity with which the highest mountain in the world siccs its pitfalls on climbers nails you to your seat, and the moment a storm appears, the cinema is already shaken to the core and the viewer knows they are in for a rough ride. And every gasp for breath almost hurts in your own lungs. (24/09/2015)

Raw and majestic. Where most people would have long since given up mountain climbing, Kormákur has no trouble in handling the dramatic plane, but he also has the enthusiasm to climb to the top of the world. The central story itself is very powerful, but the down-to-earth approach that removes any possible pathos forces you to value it all the more. Deaths are ordinary, without tension build-up and so have greater impact. Great acting performances. Worthington at last has a proper role, but not major. Keira will tempt moisture from your eye. Beautiful music. (24/09/2015)

The biggest advantage is that you will definitely like several characters during the initial introduction. It could be the charismatic Jason Clarke, who finally steps into a proper role and may he be forgiven for failing as the Terminator. It could be Jake Gyllenhaal, or perhaps the confident Josh Brolin. And Emily Watson and others are certainly worth mentioning. In short, Baltasar Kormákur starts with an interesting conversation in the camp, which has some great scenes that he subtly crosses with panoramas of the highest massifs. The climb itself is not nearly as popcorn-y as it might seem. Death is quick, quiet and with almost no music. The emotion is mostly due to the intimate scenes and the audiovisually captivating shots of the mountains in all sorts of styles from all sorts of angles – at times it feels like a rip-off of the best of National Geographic. Surprisingly, this makes for a nice departure from the likes of Vertical Limit. Everything is sober, very realistic within limits and visually captivating. (27/09/2015)

A great “Man Against Nature" drama, which you really do believe is based on a real event, and which could have been longer, because one can feel from it the better film adventure times when everything wasn't just special effects and when the crew actually underwent as sorts of stuff (I recommend the interesting bonus materials about the filming on Blu-ray). Jason Clarke once again confirms how excellent and likeable an actor he is when he gets the right role, but there are also more excellent actors in the film. (14/11/2020)

Criminally squandered potential. A bland adventure drama both narratively and story-wise, where during almost 90 minutes we follow too many characters to tell them apart during the expected "everything goes to shit" sequence in the dark and under a flood of identical moustaches, as only Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin possess the importance in the eyes of the writers to deserve more space not only in the dialogue introduction, but also later in the unflattering position of lying face down in the snow. The visuals are admittedly very impressive and convincing, and the scenes where the raging weather takes the lead are an almost painful physical experience, but unfortunately they take up too little time and the film is sorely lacking any significant dramatic arc or at least any exciting moment beyond the superficial big-budget spectacle. On the plus side, Kormákur shoots the climactic scenes raw, without emotional outbursts and without American heroism, but unfortunately this time it's not enough. 65% (17/11/2015)

Kormákur decided to shoot his most ambitious film as realistically as possible, without the traditional Hollywood embellishments and artificially-evoked dramatic situations, making Everest almost a documentary reconstruction of the real events by which it was inspired. However, the film suffers from too many characters - at least two dozen are clawing their way to the top and many more are waiting at the bottom or at home. There are so many that a large number of them appear only marginally in the film and do not get enough space so that you are able to form an emotional bond with them, which is quite a shame given the stellar cast. The film is beautifully shot, but without invention and without ideas. Everest works as a fateful testimony about overcoming oneself, about the power of the human spirit and that nature always has the last word in the end. Otherwise, however, it represents a risk-free film for the audience, in which the sympathetic pursuit of credibility and realism is brought down by a lack of drama and too many characters. (21/11/2015)

Everest is a very well made drama that stands primarily on the premise and the performances, and in which the rawness and authenticity of the Himalayan landscape, which can be deadly if you are not careful and play with Mother Nature, shines through. For the entire two hours, I tensely watched the plot unfold and the characters' efforts to conquer the snow-capped titan, waiting with bated breath to see who would actually live to see the end. In short, a truly rugged excursion into inhospitable lands where just a small mistake can have fatal consequences. (05/07/2016)

For the record, my greatest sympathy is still with the Nepalese pilot who had to break a couple of dozen airline records to pick up a pompous jerk from Everest because his female made a stink at the embassy. An otherwise appealing bit of audiovisual sadism whose 3D distribution seems somehow out of place, given that it manages to strike a pretty decent balance between reconstruction and classic film narrative. As a result, you just can't keep track of who out of the starry skies bites it and who survives, half the film everyone’s wearing masks on their faces so God only knows who they are, and the main voice is pissed off nature doing what it can to give them the most fucked up day of their lives. And I have even less sympathy for the psychopaths who shell out a few million bucks to go for a few days up a hill that’s just standing there angrily trying to kill as many people as possible. (12/01/2016)

I was a little afraid of that movie because I thought it would be very intense, very brutal. And it was, but I guess I thought it would leave a deeper impression on me. Still, it is a very well-made film, where fear truly emanates from Everest. However, it is not portrayed as harshly as it could be. Nevertheless, this film will leave a trace in you. (28/12/2015)

I have to say that I probably had excessive expectations. Visually, there is nothing to fault in Everest, but the script could have been much more polished. Probably everyone perceives that climbing peaks this high has long become a commercial commodity. It's commercial as hell and I feel the same way about this film, which is really unfortunate. (65%) (22/01/2022)