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So much average

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This documentary is about a group of friends who walk from Yosimite to Mt. Whitney along the John Muir Trail. To me, the reason to hike is to enjoy the solitude...the peace and quiet of the great outdoors. Because of this, it really makes watching this documentary difficult, as it is NEVER quiet...never. Instead of focusing on the glorious natural settings, the film always goes back to the relatively uninteresting group of friends so they can talk...and talk...and talk. It reminds me of most every reality TV show where the camera MUST periodically come back to the 'stars' to hear their thoughts about the trek--even if these thoughts are mostly irrelevant. In hindsight, I would have MUCH rather seen a ton of footage with only minimal narration to let you know what you're seeing. Plus, isn't it better to just get out and hike instead of watching people hike (a little) and talk a lot? A boring and rather pointless and thoroughly pretentious and self-absorbed film that folks either adore or totally hate....as you can tell if you read through the reviews. I am somewhat in the middle. I'd give the footage an 8 and everything else a 1...and an overall score of 3. Believe me, among those who didn't enjoy it, a 3 is VERY positive and I don't use the unnecessarily abusive and anti-rich people comments some used in describing and attacking this movie.

I've hiked the JMT for years, usually as a solo but sometimes in groups. This movie is very true to the crazy, collective experience of the trail. It catches the exhaustion, the exhilaration, the inevitable problems that arise, the feeling that the trail is going on forever. Every JMT hiker who has seen it has been very, very impressed with how well the experience has been captured.I am not the movie expert that many reviewers here are, but I at least think it holds its own as a documentary. Good humor, great visuals, and the sound recording is awesome and really adds to the film. I bought the DVD after viewing the film in a preview session and I plan to show it to anyone who asks me about the experience.

The "Range of Light" piece in the extra features is enough to inspire, but the film does an even better job of bringing to life the beauty of the world around us, a world described in the film as "in our own backyard." The passion the film-makers have for their work is evidenced by their dedication - carrying pounds and pounds of extra gear through 211 grueling miles. They are not actors, they are film-makers who love the outdoors. This fact rings true throughout the film.While so many of us don't have the ability to leave our lives for a month and take on such a venture, this film brings that experience, as best it can, to your living room. However, I believe their goal is accomplished -- inspire you to get out and do it yourself. The soundtrack to the film is beautiful and perfectly accompanies the beautiful scenery.Five stars!

This is a really well put together film. Before it was released, I was only hoping for a really good documentary on the Muir Trail, but after seeing it, I realize it's about the people that visit the Muir Trail and as one of the participants put it, it's not about the places you go, it's the people you choose to do them with. Everything about this film is well done, from the cinematography, to the great music written by Opus Orange, to the great sound, to the storyline. The original intent was to come back from the hike and create a short, 3 minute feature, but upon their return they discover they have over 30 hours of footage. Raising over $80,000 for post-production on Kickstarter, they create more than a collection of footage, they make a real movie. It is inspiring and enlightening and makes you want to go hike the Muir Trail. This is 90 minutes well spent.