The ending is a little sad, but the story is interesting and showcases the dangers of climbing mountains of that magnitude. Plus, the characters have really good chemistry.

This might be a GenX thing, but I just finished this movie (without knowing anything about the story) and thought it was bad. I'm blaming it on generation because I have to assume people who really loved it don't have as much to compare it against. I've seen loads of true-story tear-jerkers ("Apollo 13" immediately comes to mind) that were so much more well thought out and effective. At multiple points, this film reminded me of all the bad 1970s disaster movies I saw as a kid, and I haven't thought about those in years. Even Stallone's "Cliffhanger" was better than this! One of the biggest problems with the film was character development. Several of the characters were so poorly developed (i.e., not at all) that once they were all in gear and covered with ice, I lost track of who the hell they were. White dudes with beards. We never got any hint as to why Jake Gyllenhaal's character was having trouble physically or what his story was. Was he supposed to be a drunk? Why? And is that what was wrong with his stomach? At one point, Rob has a tête-à-tête with Donnie Darko to ask if their teams cab work together on the climb, and his response is "Okay." Not really much of a conflict there. A scene like that is usually added to build tension, but this one didn't deliver. They should've skipped that scene and instead given us Jake's character's back story. Who was the douchey guy who got pissed off over the other teams wanting to set a departure schedule? Was it his team who helped out with the rescue toward the end? I assume so, otherwise there was literally no reason for this scene. But I can ONLY assume, because once again, there was no further exploration of the character. That's not how a good story works. You can't bank on your audience making assumptions. There should have been more buildup to the meeting scene---something earlier in the story to indicate that that dude was going to be a potential problem. And then he should have actually turned out to be a problem. Caused an accident. Something. It also would have helped had we known why it was so important that they all go up at the same time instead of staggering their start times. Instead, he throws a fit for no reason, then disappears until---like Superman emerging from a phone booth---his team appears at the end to (try to) save the day? (If that's what happened. Again, it wasn't clear. There were multiple teams at that camp.) The key difference between this film and crap like "Earthquake"---and the biggest reason I disliked it---was that these people all did this to themselves! It's not like they were up there surviving a plane crash. They climbed up there knowing the odds were they weren't coming back down. It's hard to feel sorry for people who pay $65k to go to a place humans aren't designed to survive in. That's just a Darwin award waiting to be handed out. The fact that Doug the mailman pushed Rob to go up to the summit when Rob told him in no uncertain terms, "No, we have to leave NOW," perfectly illustrated the incredible level of selfishness that is involved in this kind of undertaking. Because of that guy's need to be a big man and get all the way to the top of a damned mountain, a little girl grew up without her dad. I might have had more sympathy for the characters and their plight *had they been better developed.* Instead, I was left wondering, "What the hell did I just watch?" I love Jake Gyllenhaal, BTW, and normally love anything he's in, so I was all primed to enjoy this one. Remember: I LIKED CLIFFHANGER. There wasn't a high bar to meet. What a letdown.

Emotionally charged! They really nailed the impact on the people going through it. The emotional weight lands hard. The characters are great, with lots of well-known actors showing up. Some of the camera shots are insanely good. Overall, really well done, especially in how it handles the devastation of loss. Heavy stuff, beautifully executed.

There are far better ways to waste time. Too artificially maudlin.

Considering this is based on real people, you can’t rate it as anything other than 100%. Incredible and heartbreaking story.

Extraordinary but sad movie!!!

The incredible dedication of these mountain climbers is astounding, and the experience itself is definitely worth watching, but it’s the movie’s second half that will leave you speechless.

A bunch of oxygen addicts try to summit Mount Everest. And things don't go as planned after a big storm comes in. Then climbers start dropping like flies. I'm totally obsessed with this movie.

Best climbing movie ever, besides Cliffhanger, but better because it's based on a true story. Great cast, super intense, very sad. I saw this in IMAX and it was so intense.

Great movie, it was really sad when Rob died, overall great movie.

A powerful and emotional film. That also tell you don't mess with mother nature in the sheer awesomeness of everest. Everest is beautiful in every way

Memorable performances from base camp. The pacing does suffer from frost bite during the first half, but gently defrosts into a devastatingly, emotional retelling of tragic events.

If you like adventure/survival films and stories, this is one of the best. Very well acted, and the look of the film is incredibly realistic. One of the best films of man vs the fiercest of nature. Solid film and very loyal to the facts of this tragedy.

There's about 20 characters to keep track of and only 2 have any kind of character development. First 45 mins is a waste of time. Once they actually get climbing (all wearing the same kit so even harder to keep track of who's who) the film takes off. Great drama, cinematography and acting for the most part.

You really feel the plight and anguish of the climbers and team members. Cast is phenomenal. Wonder what the real families thought of the movie.

If you like survivalist movies and the suspense they provide , then go ahead and watch it. It is a little slower than I wanted it to be, but still managed to keep my attention and move me.

It's a slow crawl to its ultimate destination, but when push comes to shove, Everest is a well executed survival thriller with some daunting visuals.

The movie portrays everything it aims to accomplish. The astonishing visuals of a Mount Everest climb, the dangers of high-altitude climbing, and the tragic story of the 1996 disaster. Don't expect a groundbreaking masterpiece and simply enjoy the visuals.

I had read the John Krakauer book "Into Thin Air" about this event a long time ago. This movie was absolutely incredible at capturing the emotion and enormity of the tragedy . Such a great loss to the climbing community. Great Cinematography, great acting. Well worth the watch.

It was pretty entertaining but got a little long. It's worth the watch.