thrilling and emotional but never could summit

Rating: 7/10 (24 September 2015)

First of all, bravo on the cinematography. This film has some of the best visuals i have ever seen on film and it really makes you feel like you are 29.029 feet up touching the highest point on earth. The IMAX experience was unlike anything i have ever seen. I was almost expecting to feel the cold wind in my seat as the group struggled for survival after their expedition goes very wrong. I would not be surprised if this film wins an Oscar for best cinematography. it was really that good.
The characters were a bit underdeveloped i thought with an exception of Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin who were the two standout performances for me. Sam Worthington was exceptional as well but with limited screen time. Jake Gyllenhaal was the biggest waste of a character since as far as i can remember. you knew his fate from the very first time you saw him and he was extremely under utilized. after all the main character was the mountain itself which got the most screen time. (not necessarily a bad thing)
I did not look up the story until after watching the movie because i didn't want anything ruined and while watching this movie i found it to be rather slow in getting the momentum going. Its really only the last 30-45 minutes of the movie where things get pretty intense. I was expecting Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal to team up and combine leadership skills and resources and fight back down the mountain but that does not happen at all. However the filmmakers did not stray too far from the actual story so i can't really knock the film for that as it is probably the most realistic portrayal of a disaster/survival story since "The Impossible" and some of the main characters deaths are pretty emotional.
overall it was a very enjoyable theater experience and i look forward to watching the bonus features on the blu ray a few months from now and seeing how this film was shot because it was absolutely stunning. 6.5/10