Everest

What goes up must indeed come down, and as the characters in Everest learn, that’s especially true when climbing the world’s tallest peak.

This visually stunning if dramatically muddled portrayal of the tragic true-life adventure involving several climbers who became stranded during a 1996 blizzard doesn’t soar to the emotional heights to which it aspires. But it provides some white-knuckle tension for those unfamiliar with the outcome, especially in the second half.

The film takes place during a time when a proliferation of amateur guide services on Everest were turning the Himalayan mountain into a glorified tourist attraction for rich thrill-seekers. Among the profiteers is Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), a passionate climber who emphasizes safety yet sees competition for business from more cavalier expedition leaders like Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal).

That congestion raises the stakes for Rob and his pregnant wife (Keira Knightley) back home, and creates more danger than usual for his clients including Dallas pathologist Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), author Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), and a working-class mailman (John Hawkes). And while their ascent goes smoothly enough, getting back to base camp is another story once a snowstorm moves in and oxygen starts to run low.

The screenplay funnels the resulting real-life quest for survival through some clumsy dialogue and Hollywood embellishments. It’s difficult to develop much of a rooting interest in the individual characters when most of them are so thinly sketched.

In other words, the film suffers from the same problem the mountaineers encountered — that there are simply too many people, and it’s difficult to keep track of them all. Once the script narrows its focus, the suspense escalates and the inherent dangers of such a harrowing trek become more vivid.

When the film succeeds, it’s due in large part to the visual approach by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur (Contraband), who uses his 3D cameras to maximize the intimidating nature of the cliffs, crevasses, and avalanches (as well as offer close-ups of some severely weather-beaten faces). The film captures the beauty of Everest yet also conveys the perilous challenge it presents to even the most seasoned alpinists.

Still, this Everest can’t match the spectacle of the seminal 1999 IMAX documentary that is based in part on the same story. A comparison gives you the feeling that perhaps a nonfiction approach might have likewise allowed this project to climb past base camp and reach the summit.

Rated PG-13, 121 minutes.