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I am a huge fan of Ran, having followed his life and adventures through his books from the '70s until now, so I was really looking forward to this biopic. It is a fine film (especially to those not familiar with the man) and does a good job of retelling some of his adventures. I say "some" because, for me at least, his unsupported crossing of Antarctica in 1993 (with Mike Stroud) was his greatest feat of physical endurance, yet that epic journey gets barely a mention here.

My main criticism of the film though, is that I was hoping Ran might share some illuminating insights on what he had actually learned through his amazing life. One might have thought that having been lucky enough to visit most of the incredible and inaccessible places on this planet, and having spent prolonged periods in so many, and in rare isolation, that he might be able to share a few nuggets of spiritual wisdom gleaned along the way. Unfortunately the film doesn't extend further than Ran's simple belief that we live, we do some things, and we die. Of course, he may be right, but I was hoping that his innate desire to explore had more purpose and depth than the film reveals.

It is a shame that on the greatest and most mysterious journey of all, Ran appears no closer to enlightenment now than he did when he began.

IN A NUTSHELL: This awe-inspiring documentary by NBCUniversal features Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the world's greatest explorer. Now, that might sound like an impossible title, yet you'll agree it perfectly fits this amazing man.

He's the only man ever to have circumnavigated the surface of the globe from pole to pole. He has broken countless world records and even discovered a lost city in Arabia! At age 60, he ran seven marathons on seven consecutive days, on seven continents...all after a double heart bypass!

Explorer tells the definitive story of this extraordinary life of adventure. It has been said that the "man has become a myth." Watching the documentary certainly made me want to get off my couch and have an adventure!

THINGS I LIKED: At the beginning of the movie, we see an almost endless list of Sir Ranulph Fiennes' accomplishments. He truly pushed the boundaries of what a human can do.

The film combines amazing archive footage of past feats, as well as takes a look at what he's currently doing in his life.

We learn that Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes inherited his title as 3rd baronet, but he prefers being called simply "Ran" because he explains he hasn't earned the title.

It's interesting to also learn that he grew up among mostly women: mother and aunts. He admits that much of what he did in life was to become like his father. He talks of the ghosts of his father and grandfather who were war heroes, and how he doesn't want to disappoint them.

Ran's wife must have been quite a woman. She described herself as "just a housewife", yet she was the impetus for many of the adventures and quite the adventurer and marketer herself. We get to see old footage of her as a young child, teenager, and wife. Sadly, they never had children together and she died of cancer. About losing her, he said, "The love was huge and time doesn't heal it." She encouraged him to marry again, which he did after her death. He even had a daughter who is currently involved in conservation efforts.

In the film, he criticized "packaged vacations" where tourists see all of the typical locations. Instead, he challenged people to look for something unique and off the beaten path.

He's honest about why he goes on speaking tours: to pay the bills. His adventures were notoriously expensive and he had to raise all of the funds himself. He's never had much money and currently drives a beat-up Ford Mondeo covered in duct tape. At the end of the film, we see a title card claiming that it's for sale. Haha We get to see video clips of a young Prince Charles of England giving praise to Ran for his "gloriously mad" adventures.

In addition to his quest to explore the world, he auditioned to be James Bond in the movies, and can now add filmmaker to his resume!

He laments his old age and inability to do everything he used to be able to do. As the camera shows him going on a slow hike up a hill, a fast jogger runs by and he laughs, "Those were the days." His matter-of-fact attitude about life and death is revealed when he states, "We have a time down here and when it's done, it's done."

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The film jumps around in Ran's timeline, which might feel confusing for viewers.

A narrator might have been helpful to tie scenes together.

I wonder how Ran's second wife feels about her tiny amount of screen time she got at the end of the film. It would be hard to live in Ginny's shadow. Ran admits that being married again and having a daughter make his life complete.

You can't do great things and break barriers without criticism from others, so it was interesting to hear quite a few voice recordings that pointed out negative things about Ran.

Ran has been criticized for not being more vulnerable in interviews and taking more time for self-reflection.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will mostly be bored.

Several F-bombs Talk of killing men in war Dangerous activities You see fingers that have been frostbitten very badly and hear how Ran sawed off the tips of his own fingers on his left hand! EEK!

THEMES: Courage Determination Drive Goals Passion Vision.

A wonderfully told story of a fine human being: emotional, inspiring, eventful, a lifetime of challanges and achievments. A very complementing cinematoghrapic experience, fills Ran's life story with pictures and colour. Unmissable for those who are already familiar with his life, and should inspire to read his books for those who haven't done so yet.

Most that watch this biopic will have already made their decision on Ranulph Fiennes.

Years ago I was keen to know more and read his autobiography and came to understand that you don't get to do and achieve what he has by being a nice man. That's not to say that he is a bad man but he is single minded, driven, arrogant, self-centred, opinionated and often selfish. 'I go on expeditions for the same reason an estate agent sells houses - to pay the bills' is a quote from him when he was trying to explain that he doesn't care about nature of the expedition only how remarkable the feat may be and how much money he may make from it afterwards.

This film does a little to show the depths of the man but it's poorly put together with vast holes and extremely biased. Glorifying aspects of a man that you probably wouldn't appreciate in someone you know personally. It covers an almost indefinite list of records and mankind 'firsts' but in a superficial manner and glosses over significant parts of Ran's life.

If you are already a big fan of his then you may like the film regardless of it's poor production. If you are watching to learn about the man, don't... Go read his book first and then a few others about him and make your own mind up.

This man's story should be mandatory viewing for all young men.

Quite possibly the greatest living Brit Sir Ranulph is a role model of the highest caliber.

This documentary had me wanting more and more and when it finished I watched it again.

Without spoiling anything for you if you haven't seen it, all I can say is this man's loves story will stay in my heart forever. Everytime I look at him I feel what he feels and he's sooooo strong marching on where most of us would simply fold. And this is the story of his life. He's always done what others would find impossible. He's truly one of the greatest humans of our time.

Watch and enjoy. I'm going to watch it again 😂