Summit Fever

SUMMIT FEVER is one of the more disappointing mountaineering films out there, mainly because it has no real plot. At least thrillers like CLIFFHANGER and A LONELY PLACE TO DIE (which director Julian Gilbey also made) had thriller plots with a mountaineering backdrop, which gave them drive and narrative coherency. Here, we just get a group of dull young friends (and added Hollywood star Ryan Philippe for name value) who decide to go climb a few mountains. Tragedy strikes on occasion, but it's not very thrilling or indeed involving. Gilbey obviously has a real-life passion for mountaineering but I do wonder if this would have just worked better as a documentary.

Mountain climbing has been one of my great lifelong passions, therefore I rate this film highly. It captures the beautiful romantic but sometimes tragic obsession of the mountaineer for climbing higher. And it recognizes their sacrifices - of their personal relationships and often of their very lives. Climbing can be an aesthetic madness, an unquenchable fever that drives one to the very heights of extreme sport. It's not for everyone.

The photography of the Alps is simply breathtaking, highlighting the sharp, impossibly rugged summits in every direction. The technical climbing details portrayed are very accurate - the filmmakers here obviously know the climbing arts very well.

A couple of times a year, this film is shown on a local TV movie channel, and I always watch for it and never miss it. I love its homage to heroic mountaineering, and I appreciate it more each time I see it.

There was a good film in in here somewhere, however, I feel that poor execution, casting, and weak writing (specifically the first half) let the entire concept down. If you can manage to get past the first 45min the film does become significantly more eventful and entertaining.....aided by lower reliance on the character "background" stories and any actual acting.

That being said, it's the first time since The Avengers (1998) that I kept looking at my watch praying for the agony to stop.

In terms of redemption, the climbing scenes were well executed and there are some beautiful cinematic sequences of the mountains.

Probably not the worst film I've ever seen, and I've likely been harsh with my rating so take with a pinch of salt.

I really like climbing/mountain films generally. K2, everest, touching the void etc.

This film is very similar so if you enjoyed those you'll likely enjoy this.

Typical kinda story where you have 2 friends who like to climb together. One starts to grow up getting into an apprenticeship while the other continues on his adventures. Cue lots of luring and next min they're back together with a bunch of other climbers to take on some challenging (once in a lifetime opportunity) mountains.

Things inevitably take a turn for the worse and drama ensues!

You'd think the story ends there but nope! Get back on the horse and all that jazz, next min they're climbing another mountain. And guess what? Things take an inevitable turn for the worse and drama ensues!!

The acting was a mix, some good some not so much but nothing super terrible.

I enjoyed it and would watch it again for sure.

In this era, only the movies with heavy CGI get the good ratings.

Movies where Actors stay safe in a studio and everything else is made of fiction.

This movie is great, climbing is real, the snow is real, the mountains are real.

It's not a blockbuser , it's not gonna win academy awards. But it's got emotion it's got great mountain views,it has tension and it has a simple,but good story.

Hands down to the producer and all the actors, they have made a great job and I'm sure it wasn't an easy one

I love mountain climbing films so I said I'll give it a try. Ryan Philippe was the only actor I knew , although I don't know the other ones, I really liked them and they all made a great contribution to this. Freddie Thorp is a young actor but he sure is talented.

Definitely worth watching this!