The Walk (2015) (4K Ultra HD Review)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon
RATED: PG/REGION 0/1:85/2160P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Sony Pictures
The Walk (2015) is a movie that spends nearly two hours asking a very simple question: “What if a guy walked on a wire?” The surprising part is that the answer is occasionally thrilling, occasionally exhausting, and somehow both at the exact same time.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film tells the true story of Philippe Petit and his famous 1974 tightrope walk between the towers of the World Trade Center. It’s an incredible real-life story, and honestly, if somebody pitched it as fiction, most studios would probably reject it for being too unrealistic. “So this guy illegally sneaks into the Twin Towers and walks between them on a wire?” Sure, buddy.
The biggest strength of The Walk is also the thing that ultimately saves the movie from being completely forgettable: the actual walk itself.
When Zemeckis finally gets to the main event, the film becomes genuinely nerve-racking. Even though everyone knows how the story ends, the visual effects and camerawork do an excellent job creating the illusion of impossible height. If you’re afraid of heights, the last act may have you gripping your armrest hard enough to leave fingerprints. The sequence is beautiful, suspenseful, and surprisingly emotional.
The problem is that you have to sit through a lot of movie before you get there.
The first two-thirds of The Walk often feels like an extremely polished heist film where the treasure is… a really long balancing act. We spend a tremendous amount of time assembling the team, making plans, discussing ropes, discussing wires, discussing more ropes, discussing measurements, and discussing whether this is a good idea. (Spoiler: it is not a good idea. That’s why it’s famous.)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives an energetic performance as Petit, but the film’s decision to have him narrate directly to the audience from atop the Statue of Liberty can be a bit much. At times it feels less like a movie and more like a very enthusiastic tour guide explaining a story he really, really wants you to hear.
The supporting cast is solid, and the recreation of 1970s New York looks fantastic, but there’s a certain artificial quality hanging over much of the film. It’s polished to the point where some scenes feel more like a theme park attraction than a drama. Not bad, exactly—just a little too clean and manufactured.
That’s ultimately where The Walk lands for me. It’s a good movie with a great ending. The final act is so effective that it almost makes you forget how much setup it required to get there. Almost.
I don’t dislike The Walk. In fact, I admire it quite a bit. The performances are good, the visuals are impressive, and the climactic sequence is genuinely spectacular. At the same time, the movie spends so long building toward that moment that parts of the journey feel more impressive than entertaining.
In the end, The Walk is kind of like Philippe Petit’s actual stunt. You spend a lot of time watching somebody carefully prepare for something that seems completely insane, and when it finally happens, it’s undeniably impressive. Whether the entire trip was worth it depends on how patient you are while waiting for the payoff.
Extras
- Pillars of Support
- First Steps
- The Amazing Walk
- Deleted Scenes
