Bristling through the elevation, you feel the majesty of the mountain in Baltasar Kormákur’s Everest. Its presence, completely unmistakable, always shakes you, always leaves you a chilling reminder of its vast landscape. The wind breezes through you, firmly reminding you to never mistake the illustriousness of its vast landscape. The snow constantly pierces, pricking you through every inch of your body. The fear is real. It swims as deep inside you as it does those climbing up its unforgiving peak. But the roaming spirit of its adventure — the feeling you’re set to accomplish the impossible — also burns inside you. It stains you. It keeps your body warm, and your spirits high. It may make it all worth the while.
Through the technical marvel of Everest, the mountain always sings — though the characters surrounding its landscape don’t earn the same justice. In telling the harrowing true story behind a disastrous 1996 expedition, based on Jon Krakaeur’s bestselling memoir Into Thin Air, the respect for those who risked their lives through the treacherous conditions to prove their worth can constantly be admired.
Their story is told with loyalty, honor and care, and it’s entirely noticeable through every pass and turn. In respecting the climb and the hardships that come to follow, though, it’s apparent Kormákur — previously behind actioners like Contraband and 2 Guns — has a little more to grab than he can hold. Despite best laid intentions, the visuals host more weight than the characters. The sense of wonder, the sense of awe, is constantly burning inside you, but your heart is oddly left cold.
In May 1996, Adventure Consultant’s head guide Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) set off to guide a new series of clients up through the 8,000 meters known as Mt. Everest. Those clients, including hotshot Texan Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), expert climber Yasuko Namba (Naoko Mori), mailman Doug Hansen (John Hawkes) and journalist Jon Krakaeur (Michael Kelly), ascend from the Himalayas through the base camp, where they are introduced to Helen Wilton (Emily Watson), their various guides and Rob’s competition, Mountain Madness’ Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal). Tension can mount even for those whom regularly seek to accomplish the impossible. Man is not their enemy here, though. It’s the mountain they need to fear.
Only she decides who can, or will, live and die through the unforgiving trenches, and never is she known for her kindness. Through their journey, the men and women are guided upon what they depend on safety and care for one another. But as the blizzards become harsher and the air grows thinner, that may not be enough to make them come back down. Through setting the course for what’s to come, Everest reminds you how fragile we can be at every moment. And how quick fate can twist, turn and blindside you at any second on the climb. But through its IMAX 3-D presentation, you’re stunned by how much the mountains can breathe with all the ferociousness they can muster.
It roars with an intensity you cannot question. It constantly commands you with its towering, captivating display. It scares and excites you as much as it should. It constantly invigorates you with its power, but the same cannot be said for its characters — particularly the supporting ones. Despite all the ample time spent admiring the gorgeous scenery, the people themselves don’t sweep you up quite as easily. Despite some captivating performances, particularly from Hawkes, Brolin and Watson, providing the humanity needed at the core, Kormákur can’t define a clear sense of pacing.
Through trying to respect everyone, only a few get to be appreciated, and their dialogue often overstates the importance of everything. Emotional scenes lack poignancy. They come across too sappy and sugarcoated. Even though they're based on real people, only a few people really seem alive, and once tragedy starts to settle, the emotional toll never truly settles. You get lost in a blizzard of characters and coats. It’s too hobbled to invigorate, and the potential for the impact it deserves is blown away. There’s never a sense of resonance and depth, and, with the exception of a few, you don’t really feel connected to anyone or what they set to accomplish. The characters are all likable enough, but we never feel like we really get know who they are as we climb beside them.
Even if it’s not completely impacting, however, Everest is nevertheless entirely enthralling. Every thrill has a chill behind it. Every moment is fraught with empathy or tension. Every decision carries a weight behind it, and as you hear and feel every swish and sway, you’re spellbound by the radiance, the same that takes people through all this in the first place. You feel as though you’re with these people through every challenge in their wake, even when aware of where the real backdrops begin and the studio backlots end, and your breath is taken away by the hardships you become immersed in. The journey is a compelling one, and one worth exploring. Though it doesn’t reach the peak of its potential, there’s still enough to make it all worth the while.