Beyond the Edge

It may not have the jeopardy of Touching The Void, but when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary finally reach the summit, we’re treated to an early candidate for one of 2014’s most transcendent film moments. This is genuinely inspirational stuff, and then some.

This absorbing account of the first recorded summit of the world’s highest mountain is a rare documentary for which re-enactments make complete sense.

It's a testament to the film-making that, despite the fact that we know the outcome, there's a great sense of relief when they finally reach the summit.

With the facts so poignant, there's little that needs dramatizing.

Considering the danger, spectacular setting and sheer derring-do of its subject matter, this is pretty leaden stuff. Disappointing.

Though impressively shot, the doc is a weak advertisement for 3-D. Hillary's bees pop out during a background episode, but that's old hat. It's the story of that final ascent is the real stirring stuff.