Dog’s Movie House: “Everest” Like It’s Namesake – Impressive Looking But Resides In Thin Air!

 

 

Howdy Folks!  It’s The Kendog!

 

Jason Clarke Leads The Expedition In "Everest"

Jason Clarke Leads The Expedition In “Everest”

 

 

 

I do like man versus nature movies.  Films like “The Edge,”  “The Grey,” and hell, even “Twister” are always on my re-watch radar whenever I see them either on video or on television.  Ad a true story to the mix and that ups the must-see ante for me even more.  So “Everest” based on an ill-fated climb in May of 1996, should have been a slam dunk.  Instead, while entertaining, “Everest” misses the mark of adventure classic due to underdeveloped characters and a script that failed to engage my sympathies fully for the plight of the climbers.

 

 

 

“Everest” starts with the assembling of a bunch of climbers in Nepal for an ascent to the top of Everest.  Leading the expedition is experienced tour guide Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) a New Zealander who’s done this many times and is well aware of the dangers provided by the world’s tallest mountain.  Joining him is his team, lead by base camp leader/den mother Helen Wilton (Emily Watson) and a bunch of climbers with stars and glory in their eyes, including Texan Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), Doug Hansen (John Hawkes) who’s climbing for the kids at school back in the states, and Naoko Mori (Yasuko Namba), a Japanese climber who needs Everest to go seven for seven on the world’s highest summits.  Also tagging along is Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), a journalist for Outdoor Magazine writing a story about the type of people who’d climb the beast that is Everest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some perfunctory backstories, the film settles into the acclimating the climbers to high altitudes, then they make their ascent, which is slow going due to the congestion of competing climbers.  Rob gets almost everyone to the summit, but a sudden storm crashes in upon them forcing them to fight for their lives against both the mountain and the violent weather.

 

 

 

 

 

“Everest” should have been terrific, but as it stands it’s simply good.  Director Baltasar Kormakur (“2 Guns”) makes fine use of the desolate yet oddly beautiful locales but the script by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy is a bit problematic in that, although it treats its characters with respect, it also does the same characters a disservice by not spending enough time developing them.  The result are only half developed characters enacted by a very talented cast who can’t quite get them beyond some of the contrivances of the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Case in point: Rob (Clarke) comes off as both level-headed and passionate about his job and the clients under his care.  Throughout the film he touts the rules of the climb and follows them even if it means his clients don’t get to the summit of Everest.  He and his team do this time and time again, putting the safety of their climbers ahead of the overall goal.  This makes Rob a likeable protagonist and a fellow you’d most likely want to root for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until suddenly the script decides Rob go against the rules, specifically the one involving the 2 P.M. turn around time.  For those of you not in the know (like I wasn’t before watching this movie), the turn around time is the exact last moment Rob and his clients have to get to the summit of Everest.  Any later and they risk all sorts of terrible consequences, mostly related to the weather and encroaching darkness.  Yet Rob disobeys his own rule for Doug and not by just a little bit.  He helps Doug reach the summit a full two hours after the turn around time.  It doesn’t make a lick of bloody sense given Rob’s previous actions during the film and it reeks of story manipulation for the sake of conflict.  Given that this is based on a true story I suppose I could buy that this is the way it happened, but not enough of the relationship between Doug and Rob is explored (other than Doug is a repeat customer and is financially strapped, with Rob helping him out for this last ascent) to justify Rob’s actions at a critical point in the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t tell you how much of the emotional wind is sucked out “Everest’s” sails because of that one moment.  It renders the trials and tribulations (many of them quite terrifying) less engaging because there is a sense of “was this trip really necessary?” pervading the proceedings.  Were the script more likely to explore the relationships between the climbers I think Rob’s eventual decision, though still stupid and sentimental, would have been more justifiable and the rest of the movie would be more emotionally resonant as a result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All is not bad with “Everest” however.  There is actually a lot of good in it.  The photography is absolutely stunning and, with the added punch of IMAX and 3D, most of the climbing sequences are both breathtaking and a little vertigo inducing.  There is an attention of the detail of the expedition that, while not totally compensating for the lack of character development, adds to the overall experience of watching the film.

 

 

 

The performances are all very good, even in underwritten roles, with Clarke standing out as Rob, Josh Brolin

Jake Gyllenhaal As Scot Fischer In "Everest"

Jake Gyllenhaal As Scot Fischer In “Everest”

as brassy Texan Beck, and Hawkes as the somewhat meek mailman Doug.  Others giving their all include Keira Knightley as Rob’s pregnant wife Jan, at home waiting for word on her husband’s fate, Sam Worthington, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, Michael Kelly, and Jake Gyllenhaal as rival climbing guide Scott Fischer.  There are a couple of moving sequences in the film involving Rob talking to his wife via radio to base camp while Watson holds the radio to the satellite phone with Knightley on the other end.  It’s a very human touch that will be heartbreaking to many audience members.

 

 

 

All in all, “Everest” serves as a good, but not great movie that will entertain you more if you don’t require a great amount of character development.  It looks fantastic and the attention to climbing detail is something not seen an many movies of this kind.  But should you decide to go, see it at the IMAX theater for maximum effect.  The 3D is fantastic and you can almost feel the biting cold sitting in your seat.  I have to thank Doug Link and the folks at the Esquire a great deal for another fantastic experience at the movies.  If you’re going to see “Everest” this weekend, large format theaters like the Esquire are going to be the only ones showing it this weekend.  I won’t open wide until next week.  You can get you tickets to the Esquire IMAX by clicking on this link.   3 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer!   So Sayeth The Kendog!

 

 

“Everest” is Rated PG-13 for intense peril and disturbing images.

 

 

 

 

 

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