King Lines Revisited

I got to watch the full version of King Lines on DVD the other day, and I stand by my previous review. This is one of the best climbing movies ever made. I think Parallelojams is the only other film I can think of on the same level. I’ve always admired films in other genres (surfing, skiing) that are enjoyable to watch even if it’s not the sport you are most focused on. We had a non-climber friend over the other night and they thought King Lines was great. ‘Nuff said!

But really, the production quality is excellent, with rich, vibrant colors. And there’s a story, a human side to the film. It’s not just non-stop climbing porn set to techno. You get a good glimpse into what makes Chris Sharma tick, and what motivates him as a person. That’s pretty cool. It’s good to know that he rips, AND is a good guy.

Trailer:

I also watched the full length version of Committed, which sadly almost put me to sleep. There is some cool footage in there, but these guys are climbing gnarly, x-rated death routes and they are playing soft piano music in the background?!?!? I think this is a prime example of a movie that could have been really cool if the production quality was higher. And to be honest, I did watch it right after King Lines, so that’s not really fair. Bottom line: Footage of some incredibly ballsy climbing, set to terrible music that just didn’t draw me into the film.