CommentsXp Best movie ever!

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Wizard-8 With Walt Disney in real life having a love of Switzerland, it's pretty obvious that this Disney studio project, set in and filmed in Switzerland, had a special place in his heart. It must also have been a real heartbreaker for Walt when the movie didn't do especially well at the box office. Having watched the movie for myself, I think I have some idea why audiences at the time didn't embrace the movie. It's very leisurely paced, for one thing, and it could have used some more excitement. However, if you and your children are among more patient viewers, the movie does have its rewards. The movie looks great, shooting directly in the Swiss mountains and with a minimum of special effects - you'll see that the actors (or their stunt doubles) are really climbing those mountains. Also, the youthful hero of the movie comes across as an agreeable and likable fellow despite making some mistakes here and there. The movie's not perfect, but there are plenty of family movies (Disney or not) that are much worse than this one.

Jumbajookiba I love the Disney live action movies, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Treasure Island and so many more. Now, I am a fan of both them and actor James Donald, so when I had a chance to watch it I jumped at the chance. What a great way to spend an evening, great story filmed in beautiful surroundings and wonderful performances. Why isn't this available more widely? I'm not going to recap the story as other reviewers have already done so. It is, however, full of tension in marvellously filmed climbing sequences, just watching it for those is worthwhile. As I said earlier, great performances from a largely British cast with every role perfectly cast, Janet Munro runs circles around the modern Disney starlets for a start, always excellent Michael Rennie and Laurence Naismith and a young and cute James MacArthur as the lead, but, as a big fan of James Donald it was fantastic to see him playing something other than a soldier or doctor and doing his usual solid and terrific job and to see him smiling broadly at the end was an added treat, what a badly underused actor he was. Anyway, enough of the fangirl, this is one worth seeking out and I hope that Sky Disney will show it, after seeing The Island At The Top Of The World being shown (another favourite) I live in hope.

Spondonman Wonderful stuff! I saw this at a school screening in 1970, noticed over the years afterwards it was seldom shown on UK TV, however never forgot it even though I was never interested in becoming a mountaineer or a sherpa when old enough. It's a simple wholesome family Disney live action adventure, today's cynical polluted generations could probably spend days poring over its stereotypes and corn and missing the point: to enjoy a harmless 107 minutes with a feelgood movie.Young lad Rudi (James MacArthur) dreams of climbing the Matterhorn but is forced to be a hotel dishwasher instead, therefore something's got to give: you can't bottle the wind after all. He gets his chance when kindly top mountaineer Michael Rennie takes him under his wing much to his cautious uncle James Donald's disgust and later greasy guide Herbert Lom's disdain. Some splendid shots of bodies climbing impossible rocks, lovely sunny Swiss scenery and much angst between the characters leads to an admittedly rather flat conclusion, but all was well anyway. Rudi's doe eyed ever smiling girlfriend Lisbeth (Janet Munro) was perfect in her supportive role; it's always sad to recall how real life turned out so crap for her. Favourite bits: her charming meeting under her umbrella with Rudi and his boots in the rain; Rudi squeezing up the "chimney" – I nearly felt the panic. And as a sign of his parts to come I almost wished Lom had ended up stuttering and twitching!All in all, totally inconsequential entertainment, lovely to revel in and regret that not even Planet Disney can be as wholly heartwarming any more.

telegonus I saw this film on the old Disney show back decades ago, and liked it very much, then sort of forgot about it. These days the Disney channel shows it periodically, and whenever it's on and I'm watching television, I can't help but stayed tuned to this one. For anyone who's ever climbed a mountain this movie is a treat. The story is beyond simple: a young man in 19th century Switzerland whose father was killed trying to climb the Citadel (which is what the Matterhorn is called here) wants to become a mountaineer himself, and of course climb to the top of the Citadel, which no man has done. His mother strictly forbids it, and his uncle downright nasty to him whenever the subject comes up. Persistent fellow that he is, the boy hooks up with an English mountain climber, then coaxes his uncle to take him along on a climb, makes an ass of himself, then has a go at it again. The boy doesn't really have the maturity for the task, but persists, and in time he grows up, almost in spite of himself.There's a larger than life quality to this movie, which was filmed on location. Director Ken Annakin, who never achieved his potential, shows himself a first-rate movie man here. The Swiss village and the looming mountains beyond convey an odd mood, as the place feels alternately dangerous, as if on the edge of the world, and beautiful, because of what one sees out the window every day. There's an intimacy between the clannish villagers, with their peculiar garb and gingerbread homes, that's caught to absolute perfection by Annakin and his crew. Everything seems real in this film; stylized as it sometimes is, it has an unmistakable ring of (admittedly Disneyfied) truth.As to the climbing scenes, they are wonderfully photographed, with the camera seemingly in the right place at all times. One gets just close enough to experience at least some of the danger and excitement of mountain-climbing, with the camera pulling back periodically to show a larger view, invariably breathtaking. The actors are all competent. James MacArthur's non-charisma actually helps movie the picture along, as one is often more aware of who he's with than his character. He fades into the background somewhat, as young men often do, with the older, more experienced adults dominating. James Donald is brilliant as his uncle, creating a fully rounded portrait of a man who looks after his nephew, who for reasons never wholly explained, likes to belittle him. Michael Rennie is sturdy as the Englishman and Janet Munro makes a perky love interest. Herbert Lom almost steals the show as Saxo, the outsider from beyond, who also wants to climb the Citadel, and has a disagreeable disposition. He dresses differently from the others, and even wears a different sort of hat. Lom comes across as foreign, as we can see why people don't take to him in this little close-knit society. There are few surprises in this film, but it tells its familiar and largely predictable story with great flair and feeling for the people it's about, showing once more that one can make an outstanding, maybe even great film, out of seemingly routine, even threadbare material, if one hunkers down really hard and gives it one's best shot, as clearly everyone connected with this movie did.