"Everest" is surprisingly emotional and intense

Rating: 7/10 (26 September 2015)

I might not have been ready for the kind of movie I just watched because this was a deeply emotional and visceral disaster film. I was expecting a little more of a mindless action thriller than the amount thematic depth that I actually got, and it was a very memorable and intense ride. Everest dramatizes the 1996 Everest disaster that lead to the deaths of eight people, and the movie involves two groups that get caught in a violent storm while climbing Mount Everest. It actually takes a while to get to the real meat of the story. Maybe 40 minutes pass before the storm is even referenced, but the movie gets so intense and emotional during the last half that it makes up for the slow pacing of the first half. Luckily, the slower first half allows us to get to know each character, their motives to climbing the mountain and each of their back stories. The second half is so much more effective because of this. One thing that bothered me about the film were these random lapses in time that were distracting at times. One moment it would maybe be 2:30 PM, and thirty seconds later, it'll be 5:00 PM. Some of the transitions just felt choppy, but it's not such a big deal that it takes away from the film. Everest is a movie that grabs you and takes your breath away for 2 hours, and it's one that you need to see in the theater.