Mini movie review: Free Solo

Oh wow, you guys: Mr. Mouse and I went out to see a movie together.  Like, in the movie theater.  This is the first movie Mr. Mouse has seen in a theater since we moved to Utah ... 9+ years ago.  We went to see the Alex Honnold documentary, Free Solo - and before I say anything about that film, let me just digress about the movie theater.  It was playing in IMAX at the Larry H. Miller Megaplex in Sandy (not my usual movie theater) and it was like going to Las Vegas to see a movie.  There were twenty different screens and the whole place was like walking through the Vegas version of a town.  I can't imagine being there on a Friday or Saturday night when it is thronging with people.

Also: IMAX previews are played way, way, way too loud.

Ahem.  Now that I've gotten my old person reactions to modern movie-going out of the way, Free Solo was great.  The movie chronicles rock climber Alex Honnold's quest to be the first (and quite possibly only) person to free-solo El Capitan - 3,000 feet, without a rope - in Yosemite National Park, which is about the most insane thing a climber has ever done.  The filmmakers are also friends with Alex, so the fourth wall gets broken as they fear for his life in the midst of filming him.  This makes for a very personal film and even though SPOILER he doesn't fall off the face of the cliff and die, it's intense.

Photo: from National Geographic's Free Solo