Did you people see the same film I saw?

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed the helmet cams and scenery and the triumph of the ordinary men and women over extraordinary obstacles. Hence, the 7 out of 10 rating.However, there are a couple of things that really bugged me about the show. I am in Season 2 right now and will watch Season 3, but I felt I had enough background now to write this review.Pet Peeves: 1. Fact checking. This is by FAR my number 1 peeve! 8 people died on the South Col in "the worst disaster in Everest's history"? By that I assume they mean 1996, when ONE person, not eight, died on the South Col. (The reason I think they are referring to 1996 is because they have mentioned that as the worst disaster several times, interspersed with photos of Scott Fischer and Rob Hall.)South Col is a "graveyard"? As far as fatalities go it is one of the least deadly areas of the mountain. Hardly a graveyard.1 out of 3 people who reach the summit die? Maybe 50 years ago. Now it's less than 3% (that statistic is pulled from AdventureStats; other mountaineering sites may have slightly different numbers, but no one comes even close to 1 out of 3 (Note that I do not count various news articles and random Web sites that claim incredibly high fatality rates without citing their sources).These types of glaring errors make the show very difficult to enjoy.2. Consistency. I'm in season 2 right now, and in one episode they say pulmonary edema is the worst danger to climbers, and in another they say it's cerebral edema. Which is it?3. Giving everybody fatal illnesses. It seems that every climber who gets tired is suddenly diagnosed with cerebral edema (HACE) or pulmonary edema (HAPE). Those two illnesses are definitely real dangers at high altitude, but I have trouble believing that every climber who's struggling to breathe trying to reach the upper camps from ABC is on the verge of death.In season 1 they show someone who is severely affected by cerebral edema. He's very sick, on the verge of death; he's not sitting in the snow saying he's tired and wondering "if it's a cerebral thing." I understand the severity of HAPE and HACE can vary, but at some point the script writers should step back and realize that they literally try to give HAPE or HACE to everyone who plays a central role in the episodes and is going up the mountain.4. Last, but not least, the spooky narrator voice. Just let the mountain tell its story. You don't have to hype it up. Trust me, it'll sell without the annoying radio commercial style narrating. Yes, a narrator is needed, but no, he does not need to sound like his day job is advertising used cars on my local classic rock station.Summary:Worth watching? Yes (mostly for the helmet cams and seeing the various climbers with disabilities or injuries summit). But if they just let the mountain tell its story without trying to hype it up then it would be a lot, lot better.

There are many aspects of the series that highly recommend it: the visual quality, the tension/drama, the insanity/courage of the climbers, the interesting and often amusing dialog, the scenery etc. However, as silly as this may sound to some fans of the series, I'd have to single out Tim Medvetz as one of the key reasons to watch this. EBTL is not exactly a sit-com, but Medvetz's almost single-handedly provides for the fun-factor. Tim is a genuine character: a rare what-you-see-is-what-you get sort of person, and that is very refreshing these days; he isn't some dull, uptight yuppie (like David Tait) boring everyone to hell with phony, annoying posturing. Many scenes with him are mini-highlights, whether they be about his frustration with expedition leader Brice, or his spontaneous outbursts of patriotism and typically American in-your-face gung-ho zeal. To be THAT cheerful in such harsh conditions is a feat in itself. Some viewers (most notably the frustrated anti-American European types) may find him to be merely a dumb, cocky, brash L.A. biker, but that might be often envy speaking, who knows. He has few or no insecurities, his ego is intact; there is nothing wrong with exuding confidence in what is occasionally even a somewhat childlike manner. Small wonder he was so popular with the Sherpas and other expedition members (with a few exceptions).The second-most interesting/entertaining "character" is Russell Brice. No B.S. with this guy, he's seen it all - and probably too much - hence nothing and no-one can throw him off his game. His warnings, orders, and bitchings directed almost solely at perpetually disobedient Medvetz (and usually over the radio) are very funny. I'm speaking about the second series, of course. There was nothing at all amusing about Tim's disobedience in the first series, which nearly cost him his life. It's a lot of fun to watch two such strong egos clashing, a conflict borne out of the fact that Brice felt particularly strongly about not losing someone like Tim to Everest. When Brice says "I really don't care what happens to him, I really don't..." it's obvious that he does care, quite a bit. Woody, the Aussie guide, is also a bonus for the series. Terry, the doctor from the first series, is a bright, likable guy, but it's the English female doctor, Monica, who provides some much-needed female charm in the second series - seeing as how the rest are all men and Betsy. The likable Danish asthmatic comes off as the biggest lunatic of the whole bunch (no mean feat!), while some of the other people involved aren't too interesting (like the Lithuanian businessman). Still, even the most boring people can grasp your attention with ease, as you watch them struggle with every ounce of energy like maniacs in a little thing called "The Death Zone".There is an episode in which the Dane actually considers whether he should enter the Death Zone without an oxygen bottle (one would think that to be a no-brainer, which is precisely the problem with the Dane - he has no brain when it comes to mountain-climbing matters). In these moments he reminded me of a Monty Python sketch in which Terry Jones (playing an easily manipulated, eager simpleton) was given impossible assignments, such as eating a whole Cathedral or splitting a train with his nose... The ideas some people get... Ts, ts. Still, he was wise enough to turn back on time in the first series and smart enough to finally start sucking on the bottle in the second one.I admit that I cannot entirely see the fascination of reaching the top of Earth's highest mountain any more than I can understand why masochistic cyclists take part in the Tour de Farce just so they can die at the ripe old age of 35 due to heart-failure (them drugs, man). Nevertheless, as stupendously pointless as (extreme) mountain-climbing may (or may not) be, it can be quite transfixing to watch a varied bunch on such a mission, particularly since some of them aren't real pros. You can't help but root for them, in spite of the fact that they willingly - and for no truly valid reason - throw themselves in harm's way, while paying HUGE amounts of money for it! The sole complaint I have is that there are only 14 episodes altogether, and that the Discovery Channel deems it enough to air the series only once or twice per year - as if they had better things to show us. Those constant, idiotic programs about fat, tattooed guys doing things with car parts are supposed to be riveting then?As for the controversy surrounding Brice's decision not to help the dying Englishmen (1st season), I cannot agree with the idiots who gave Russell a hard time about it. When one examines the facts and realities of the environment at Everest, one has to be an utter imbecile to actually think that it would have made sense to risk the lives of up to 20 people to save one. Terry said it best when he compared the situation of dying in the Death Zone to being stranded on the Moon.

This show was amazing - highly recommended if you're interested in what it's like to climb Everest. Not for the faint of heart. It's all here - great storytelling, visuals, characters and events - and it's all real.This 6 episode mini-series is brilliantly edited. Every episode keeps a brisk pace as you follow a team of climbers from base camp up the mountain. All of the episodes were engrossing as you follow the struggles and travails of the climbers ... all leading to the final 2 pulse-pounding episodes.I really got a great appreciation of how major an undertaking climbing the mountain really is - even if you're in a commercial expedition like this (about $40K per person) and 'think' your life is going to be made a little easier. This show depicts what it's really like and it's tough - should be left to the best climbers.The visuals are fantastic - you get a precise understanding of the camps locations, routes and topography by use of great 3-d graphics. Most spectacular is the use of cameras attached to various climbers' headgear ... you can see what's happening to the climbers all the time. Also fascinating was listening to the dialog (or lack thereof) with all the climbers via constant radio contact.One more thing about the visuals - we've got a telescopic view from advanced base camp looking up at them so we can see where they are in relation to various parts of the mountain - how cool is that? The climbers were also pretty interesting (though this series didn't really need it). They were all more or less amateurs. Among the climbers were a former Hell's Angels motorcycle designer, doctor, legless man (a double-amputee), and an asthmatic (climbing without oxygen supplement). They all come with different backgrounds and goals. It's kind of amazing to watch their mental and physical faculties drop as they get more and more oxygen deprived. This gives one a glimpse of how tough it is up there.Without a doubt, this is one of the best reality shows I've seen - great intensity and learning involved - highly recommended.

Having seen the first four televised episodes I am very impressed with this documentary and look forward to it each week.To me it represents a human struggle against severe elements both physiologically and psychologically, intertwined with human emotion and interaction in a competitive environment.It's also quite a thrill to be able to see such a high quality production....and I applaud Discover Channel for televising it. This is a real reality show; people do and will continue to die up there each year.It's all about calculated risks. So far we have seen two client climbers abort their attempts because they were listening to their own bodies. That, in my mind, the first line of defense. They are the smart ones in that by saving themselves they avoid putting others at risk higher up on the slopes. Self rescue is the #1 rule of survival in many extreme sports for the same reason. Plan your climb and climb your plan. If you are off plan for reasons within yourself or reasons beyond your control, GO DOWN.We are getting a unique view of one particular team and I would say what we are seeing (and about to see) is repeated by many other teams up there during climbing season each year.wmarzan1