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Reviews2
randori-1's rating
What could have been, should have been, a compelling story about survival, triumph and tragedy in the mountains ended up being a confusing and muddled mess. The version I rented included the following
Sound editing with levels so poor you could not hear spoken word accounts of critical events nor direct interviews over the musical score
Multiple foreign language interviews (essential to understanding the chain of events) in several languages (Italian, Nepalese, Pashto, etc) that were not translated and instead merely provided with the caption "speaking foreign language". Useless
Timeline skipping so incongruous that it confused an already confusing story. Timelines randomly skipped between events on K2 in 2008, events on other mountains from various other times, and events on K2 from 1954 (with only black and white photographs to providing any indication the narration had jumped '54)
Zero character introduction. We come to know key players only as they appear in the horribly confused narrative.
In the end it felt like I needed my own translator and editing room just to make sense of the film.
Sound editing with levels so poor you could not hear spoken word accounts of critical events nor direct interviews over the musical score
Multiple foreign language interviews (essential to understanding the chain of events) in several languages (Italian, Nepalese, Pashto, etc) that were not translated and instead merely provided with the caption "speaking foreign language". Useless
Timeline skipping so incongruous that it confused an already confusing story. Timelines randomly skipped between events on K2 in 2008, events on other mountains from various other times, and events on K2 from 1954 (with only black and white photographs to providing any indication the narration had jumped '54)
Zero character introduction. We come to know key players only as they appear in the horribly confused narrative.
In the end it felt like I needed my own translator and editing room just to make sense of the film.
Sad because it could have been so good. But here's the basic pattern of every single segment
Show an interesting video clip
Engage in a ton of hyperbolic uninformed conjecture about what it could be
Exaggerate the possibilities to include the supernatural, the impossible and add in a dash of tinfoil hat conspiracy theory
Bring in supposed experts to breathlessly elaborate on ridiculous possibilities
Add more hype
There's time to fill before the commercial break so add even more hype
Postulate aliens, foreign attacks, supernatural causes, or magic
And at the last minute supply the interesting but otherwise mundane natural explanation.
The sad thing is none of the hype is necessary. The video clips show interesting things and events that at first blush do appear to be unusual and their ultimate (natural and earthbound) explanations are sufficiently interesting. As it stands however you have the "science" channel peddling anti-scientific hype, pseudoscience, and conjecture to excite and amaze an audience before revealing the interesting but earthbound truth.
Shame on the Science Channel.
The sad thing is none of the hype is necessary. The video clips show interesting things and events that at first blush do appear to be unusual and their ultimate (natural and earthbound) explanations are sufficiently interesting. As it stands however you have the "science" channel peddling anti-scientific hype, pseudoscience, and conjecture to excite and amaze an audience before revealing the interesting but earthbound truth.
Shame on the Science Channel.