The Himalayas (2015) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version) Blu-ray Region A

Hwang Jung-min plays revered climber Um Hong-gil, the film opening with him pulling together a team to climb the third highest peak in the world, Mount Kanchenjunga. While assembling his crew, he finds himself being plagued by two enthusiastic young climbers called Park Moo-taek (Jung Woo) and Park Jung-bok (Kim In-kwon), who plead with him to take them along despite their lack of experience. Eventually Um agrees, and the two surpass his expectations, proving themselves skilled and dedicated climbers, becoming his close comrades and trusted team members. Some years later, Um is forced to retire due to a leg injury, and leaves Moo-taek to head up an expedition to climb the mighty Mount Everest. Unfortunately, a fierce storm strands and decimates the party, and Um makes the difficult decision to try and bring their bodies back from the mountain.

While The Himalayas has a pretty standard plot, the true story element adds an extra layer of interest, and there's certainly something to be said for a Korean take on the subject of mountaineering, currently popular in western blockbusters and documentaries. Lee Seok-hoon does a good job of preventing the film from becoming the kind of Hwang Jung-min vehicle that might have been expected, giving plenty of screen time to the rest of the cast, and dividing things up helps hold the attention, even if some of the subplots are a little pointless, the scenes back in Korea in particular serving no real purpose. The pace is slow in places as a result, undermining the natural human drama and physical challenges at the heart of the film, though things do pick up during the many mountaineering scenes and the high-stakes final act.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, as is often the case with Korean cinema, there's a marked focus on melodrama throughout, Lee playing on themes of camaraderie, duty and family – even by the standards of the form there’s an incredible amount of crying, hugging, wailing and noble speeches in the face of icy death. While this might well turn off some non-local audiences unused to this kind of over the top emotional outpouring, there's no questioning the earnestness of it all, and for fans who know what they're getting into, there's nothing too offensive. Things are helped by some good performances from the cast, Hwang on likeable and benevolent form as ever, and Jung Woo and Kim In-kwon managing to develop their characters from comic relief in the early stages to something more sympathetic. Ra Mi-ran also does well as the team's female member, and while Lee misses the chance to delve into any gender commentary, the actress more than holds her own, being worthwhile of her Baeksang Arts Awards win for Best Supporting Actress.

The main strength of The Himalayas is the fact that it looks spectacular, Lee making grand use of the amazing mountain scenery. Boasting some gorgeous panoramic shots and some skilful blending in of CGI, the film is one of the most visually impressive from Korean of the recent year, and the towering peaks and vast snowy landscapes hammer home the theme of human beings being at the mercy of nature. The film’s convincing look also ups the threat and tension, Lee working in some tense set pieces that, while consisting of the usual avalanches, crumbling rocks and cast members hanging on the end of fraying ropes, inject some welcome thrills and excitement.

This distracts to a degree from the gratuitous melodrama, if possibly not enough for some viewers, and The Himalayas stands as a solid Korean blockbuster. While it's hard not to feel frustrated at the thought of what a more tightly edited and less hysterical take on the material might have achieved, Lee Seok-hoon nevertheless offers up a couple of hours of polished entertainment, which is likely to earn extra marks from fans of Hwang Jung-min and the rest of the cast.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com