Explorer

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.

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.

I would have loved to have seen more. What a life this man has had and continues to have! I'm going to look for more information because sadly the production/direction of Explorer is poor. Really does not do him justice at all - badly explained, and the annoying interviews of friends and relations (none in person) that all appear to be recorded from a 1920's-sounding telephone are a bizarre decision. You get the feeling so much of interest is rushed through, or just plain left out. It slaps of a budget production, but even so could have been infinitely better. Really does not do him justice which is such a shame because he seems like such a pleasant, dynamic and utterly tenacious man. They broke the mould when they made Ranulph Fiennes.

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.

Greetings again from the darkness. Not so long ago, it was a compliment to be called "a man's man." It was a term of endearment and respect that meant a man was strong, quiet, adventurous, and trustworthy. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, born Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, fit the bill. He refused the royal title saying being born into it is not the same as earning it. The man-the myth-the legend is cousin to actors Joseph and Ralph Fiennes, and has been better labeled as "the greatest living explorer", and documentarian Matthew Dyas wants us to know all about him.

An astonishing list of 'Ran's' (as he prefers to be called) exploits, adventures, and records scrolls over the film's opening. We don't even have time to absorb what we're being fed, but the first thought is ... no one man could have done all of this. Director Dyas takes us through Ran's childhood and his service in the Army. Turns out, he was always one to push boundaries. A significant portion of the film is spent detailing the long-time relationship between Ran and his first wife, Ginny. She was his biggest supporter, and the love of his life. We learn this, and much more, through the fantastic archival footage, photographs, and audio recordings, the latter of which are used instead of the customary talking heads posed for the camera.

This is a man who traversed the planet through both poles. Ran takes us through the process of cutting off the tips of his own frostbite-damaged fingers on his left hand by using a hacksaw and having Ginny assist. We learn about his heart attack, which caused him to 'take it easy' as he ran 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents (known as the World Marathon Challenge). When Ginny was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2004, she encouraged him to re-marry. He did so to Louisa, with whom he fathered his only child. After the wedding, Ran headed back to Mount Everest, and at age 65, was successful on what was his third attempt. He also self-treats his Parkinson's with frigid sea water.

Perhaps "a man's man" is not so fitting for Ranulph Fiennes. With this being a partial list of what he's done in his life, there can be no other man who belongs to his club. Of course, he has his detractors, and director Dyas allows those to have their say. But the actual video footage and recollections of those who knew him are simply too amazing to disparage. He's now 78 years old and still has his adventure goals. Learning about Ranulph Fiennes is likely to humble you and hopefully inspire a few to push those boundaries.

Available on Digital and On Demand beginning August 30, 2022.