A perfect storm of elements caused the tragic mountain climbing expedition portrayed in “Everest” – bad weather, equipment problems and rash decisions made in a commercially competitive climbing business.
But there is only one reason the film “Everest” was made almost 20 years after the events were chronicled by surviving climber Jon Krakauer in “Into Thin Air” – the movie business.
The special effects portraying the Mount Everest climb during which eight climbers died are adequate without being breathtaking. Throw it into your face using an Imax sized screen in 3D and a visceral reaction is inevitable.
But the effects in the reportedly $55 million dollar movie by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur – with 19! listed producers – are inconsistent. The large-sized screen is not always flattering to them or to the frequent close ups of the actors whose faces become so covered in frost it is hard to tell them apart. The action is similarly muddled.
“Everest” is structured more like a disaster film than an adventure film.
We learn about the personal lives of several climbers; lead climber Jason Clark; his laid back competitor Jake Gyllenhaal; the sickly climbers, John Hawkes, the overbearing Texan, played by Josh Brolin; and the women they left behind, pregnant Keira Knightley, thankless Robin Wright and base camp boss Emily Watson.
But its sentimental elements do little to deepen the bad thing about to happen to them.
And neither does 3-D.
**1/2 Two and one half stars
With Jason Cla4rke, Thomas Wright, Martin Henderson, Naoko Mori, MIchael Kelly< John Hawkes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Josh Brolin, Emily Watson. Produced by Nicky Kentish Barnes. Tim Bevan, Liza Chasin, Eric Fellner, Evan Hayes, Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson. Written by William Nicholson, Simon Beaufoy. directed by Baltasar Kormakur. Approximate running time 121 minutes. Rated PG-13 for peril and disturbing images.
Tags: Everest, Into Thin Air Posted by