The “dull, dull characters” james refers to, while unassuming and nothing obnoxious like modern day reality TV “stars”, are actually mostly composed of people who are world famous legends within the climbing world. The film may come across as boring simply because they make phenomenally difficult feats look childishly simple.
The style of the film is comparable to other “xtreme” sports docu’s from the late 90’s, and thus the types of shots, edits, and music are comparable to other things from that era. This is mostly a flowing, positive, feel-good type of film, so if you’re looking for drama, suspense, or anything involving “deadliest-catch"-like interpersonal tension, look elsewhere.
The film exhibits a number of classic routes and styles of climbing, including sport, aide/bigwall, bouldering, alpine, and mixed climbing. Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable and relaxing tour of the world of climbing and a fun chance to see some amazing views and a few of climbing’s big names in action.
4/5 stars
