Summit Fever

Half of Summit Fever is watching people climb. I know that may not seem like a criticism when that's what the movie is about. But you need more than that for it to feel like a real movie. I might as well watch a documentary or real footage of climbers.

The other half of Summit Fever is the most basic and useless character development and story setup. They throw in a love story that actually works but isn't necessary and doesn't make up for the rest of the movie.

I don't have much else to say. This movie is extremely boring with almost no intrigue. The main part of the story, the biggest mountain they will climb, doesn't happen until 70 minutes into the movie. By then I was mostly checked out. (1 viewing, 3/27/2023)

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.

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.

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.

If you liked EVEREST (2015), FREE SOLO (2018), THE ALPINIST (2021), you will probably like this too. It's not as good as the aforementioned movie and documentaries, it's a low budget production and acting is mediocre, however, it's better than i thought it would be.

There are some impressive mountain shots, tension, acting is not bad and the ending is good. It is not much intense, your heart is not gonna beat faster, but these are 2 hours well spent, providing that you like these activities, i mean mountain climbing. If you are interested in this way of life (climbing and other dangerous activities), there is a kinda accurate depiction of it in this movie, and you will find it interesting.

It's not a great movie, probably it's not a good either, but i enjoy it. Read the plot and you will know what this is about. If you think it is interesting, watch it, you will not get disappointed. 4.9/10 is not a fair rating.