Erik Weihenmayer was diagnosed with a rare and untreatable disease at age three that saw him gradual lose his eyesight until the point of total blindness at age thirteen. Introduced to climbing early on by his father, Erik decides to join a group of other Americans and achieve what no other blind person has ever achieved by ascending to the summit of the world's highest mountain.As others have already said, there is an inspirational tale in here about overcoming disability but I'm afraid I must disagree about how well the film brings it out. We have many "perfect" votes for this film and the reviews on this site have hardly a critical word for it and I suspect the reason for this is that they are reviewing the achievement of Weihenmayer more than they are the film itself. The issue I had with it was that the film didn't seem able to bring the theme out at all other than filming the journey to the top itself, there wasn't much more than platitudes about overcoming etc and I didn't think that the design and structure of Brown's film did this side of it justice.However it is hard to make too big a deal out of this when you watch the film because it is still impressive on many levels. Of course the most obvious thing about the film is the achievement itself, which is amazing for a person with eyesight, far less someone unable to see. The footage is impressive across the whole journey and is amazingly clear and steady at every stage – with some specific shots looking great. For me though Brown should have let the spectacle speak for itself rather than using the climbers as much as he did; yes it is emotional for the people doing it but it is difficult for them to put it into words that the viewer sitting at home can appreciate – instead they too often come over a bit clichéd.Overall though, for its minor faults it is still an impressive film that has great footage of a unique journey that is not really about "overcoming" disability so much as just not letting it stand in the way. Having said that though – what on earth was achieved by using the dread David Gray so many times during the film?

Wow, I just tried to walk around my office with my eyes closed and couldn't make it two feet - let alone to the top of Everest.I've watched so many films and television shows about Everest, but this one easily tops them all. One of my favorite scenes is when Erik crosses his first ladder in the ice fall and you can hear him huffing and puffing and trying his best to walk across a ladder spanning a crevasse hundreds of feet deep.As someone who has climbed Everest, the footage up high is amazing - nothing else comes close to the quality of shots above the 8000m level.Overall this is an amazing story of accomplishing the impossible.

This film is truly an inspiring story and it includes amazing cinematography! This is not your average Everest film... it includes amazing shots, but it also tells a truly inspiring story. The blind climber's ambition and dedication is unbelievable. The cinematography is also incredible; I can't imagine lugging a camera to those elevations. I was never bored, I was always on the edge of my seat. Every aspect of the climb is perfectly documented. The Khumbu Icefall and other climbing shots are beautiful! The summit shots and celebrations will bring a tear to your eye. I'm so excited to have stumbled across this and other Michael Brown films!

This is a well made film. The story strikes you first. The struggle of the blind climber to the top of everest is a triumph of the human spirit. And though he cannot see, what we see is achingly beautiful. The cinematography is a spectacle, and the editing is spot on. Watch this film. It will make you want to achieve things in your own life. It will make you want to take the next air plane to the Himalayas and make your own trek. The world is a better place with men like Erik who overcome all to achieve their goals. And with a film like this, the achievement is so palpable you feel like you can reach out and touch it.