Everest - B-

Rated PG-13, 121 minutes

Elsa, the heroine in the Oscar-winning Disney movie gloriously sings "the cold never bothered me anyway." Well sorry Elsa, it does bother me and because of that, not to mention many other reasons, climbing Mount Everest is not a goal for me, but for many it is, which is explored in the exciting, true-life drama "Everest." Intense, thrilling and bittersweet, "Everest" isn't a perfect ride but it should please thrill-seekers and those of us who are just fine being part of the hospitality team. The movie tells the story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, when a number of simultaneous expeditions up Mount Everest resulted in the deaths of eight climbers. The groups were led by Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) and included Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a Texas doctor, mailman Doug Hansen (John Hawkes) and journalist Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), who survived and would later write a novel of his experiences. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur ("2 Guns") and co-written by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy, the well-cast "Everest" is literally a gripping, edge-of-your-seat experience that like many real tragedies, is also an unfortunate one if you know how it ended; it's also a film that works much better as an action film than a character-driven one. On the up side, a slower first act is simply build-up for when the big storm blows in, making things an extremely treacherous and for some, a fatal experience; on that note the second act brims considerably with a bite-your-nails fervor. On the downside, not all of the characters are well-drawn - especially Gyllenhaal's - and with the exception of Emily Watson's base camp manager, the women (including Keira Knightley and Robin Wright in tiny roles) don't have much impact. The script is also focused on telling a straight narrative that doesn't seek many answers as to why it happened, though it's hinted at in the film, with some more obvious (the weather) than others (competing groups, too many people) nor does it fully answer the question posed in the film: why, besides the ultimate thrill, do these people want to do this? Handsomely and somewhat realistically shot (mostly on the huge Pinewood Studios sound stage in London, evident in a couple of scenes), "Everest's" most touching moment is an intimate one off the mountain: the final exchange between Hall and his expectant wife, waiting eagerly for him back home. A modestly satisfying, thrilling journey that will have you thankful for level ground and warmer temperatures, "Everest" is a solid action film that may leaving you wanting more, which you can explore in other accounts, both books (including Krakauer's, considered the best telling of the tragedy) and films made on the subject.