Plot Summary
Derrick and Michael are professional mountain climbers who collaborate after assisting in a mountain rescue mission together. With the backing of a top mountain climbing sponsor, they endeavor to scale a massive peak in Chile in a way that no climber has ever done before. But the more they spend time together, the more obvious their differences are. Michael is an outspoken Christian who believes Derrick needs to take more responsibility for his personal life. But as they clash, they also find a common bond and becomes extremely important in a pivotal moment of crisis.
Production Quality (2 points)
Even in the earlier days of Christian film, when Worldwide Pictures was the only reliable producer on the market, they were still committed to quality production. The Climb is no exception. Camera work and video quality are state of the art for the era, including complex outdoor filming and action shots. The sets and locations are fairly diverse, including great mountain scenes and realistic surroundings. Props are used effectively and appropriately. However, the soundtrack leaves much to be desired. Also, the editing job isn’t the best it could be, as some scenes last far too long. But overall, even though this film has obvious flaws, WWP made sure that its production quality was above average. If only all low quality Christian films adhered to this practice.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
As the film arm of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, WWP was always committed to presenting a clear-cut gospel message in their films; The Climb is no exception. However, coupled with this message is a major turn-off for most audiences. Non-Christians in the movie are portrayed as very ‘bad’ and reckless, while Christians in the movie are portrayed as very ‘good’ and wise. Important issues that are presented in the film are too black and white; causes and effects are too obviously stated. Thus, the characters are not able to be related to. Their dialogue is forced and ridden with empty textbook theology; a connection to real life is not made and leaves the viewer feeling cheated. While the end is interesting and thought-provoking, there is much wasted time throughout the film that will cause many viewers to glaze over. In short, there was so much that could have done here—the plot is unique and interesting—but it was wasted. It’s so frustrating to watch movies like this.
Acting Quality (1 point)
Using the typical model of some popular actors and other not-so-popular, The Climb assembles an okay cast. On paper, it seems to work, but not in reality. Line delivery is sometimes good, but sometimes not. Emotions are not realistic—either too extreme or too muted. Basically, this cast had the potential to be successful, but they just didn’t quite make it, thus contributing to further frustration surrounding this film.
Conclusion
Worldwide Pictures actually had a great thing going. They had funding, good production, and name recognition. But unfortunately, The Climb only contributes to the stereotype of Christian films—they appear out of touch with real people and portray otherwise important issues in very black and white terms. Christians are not perfect, yet this film makes it seem like they are. It’s a shame to see this money go to waste, but hopefully someone was converted by watching this movie. The gospel message is clear, and we can’t fault anyone for that. This film can simply serve as a lesson on how to improve Christian movies in the future.
Final Rating: 4 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 