However, they have mainly been documentaries. So this is first major feature film to be about the most dangerous place on Earth.
Based on the true events of an expedition in 1996, director Baltasar Kormakur really shows us how brutal that place can be.
Not only that, but I think he has made a wonderful thrill ride that deserves to be on the big screen. After a wonderfully visual opening scene, we get some interesting character development all coming to a dramatic second half of the film.
The start gives you an interesting brief on the history of mountaineering on Everest on who could or could not climb the summit. After seeing it, that felt to be a really important part as you get to really understand how crazy that period was at the mountain's base camp.
I was amazed as to how much I got engaged with it. The mountain is definitely the star of the film.
You can tell that the characters had to do a lot of physical work to make this look as believable as possible. There is very few CGI moments and you can tell that they filmed it in tough locations.
The performances are lead by Jason Clarke who leads the expedition. His calmness really makes you feel safe when he is around. By the time the second half of the film comes around, you really want him to get down the mountain safely.
Josh Brolin is probably the supporting actor you will end up caring the most. Not many of the minor characters give enough develop to care for. So Brolin is probably the one you will root for the most. It was great to see Jake Gyllenhaal play a care-free role as the leader of the rival expedition group. Other notable performances go to John Hawkes and Emily Watson. One appearance that was a nice surprise was Naoko Mori who I loved in Torchwood.
Like I said, I think it did lack in character development. But I think I am willing to let that go as the action really develops the film enough for us to really care for the characters.
Where Everest succeeds, it is astonishing. It really felt like I was part of the expedition. It is well paced, the build-up really gets you ready for the thrilling second half. One positive that I hope many others notice was how they showed each stage of the climb. It really helped you know exactly where everyone was and what part of the mountain each character was on. That part felt really educational and makes me want to see documentaries on why people do this.
I always look out for a good soundtrack. Dario Marinelli's score does not appear throughout. But when it is there, it really fits in to the situation, especially in the awesome opening scene.
Everest is such a tense and tragic watch that shows a great tale of man vs. nature. From the very beginning, I was intrigued. By the end of it, I was just amazed at what I saw.
This was also my first IMAD 3D experience. The film really makes good use of the technology when needed.
Rating: 8/10
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