IN A NUTSHELL: This awe-inspiring documentary by NBCUniversal features Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the world's greatest explorer. Now, that might sound like an impossible title, yet you'll agree it perfectly fits this amazing man.

He's the only man ever to have circumnavigated the surface of the globe from pole to pole. He has broken countless world records and even discovered a lost city in Arabia! At age 60, he ran seven marathons on seven consecutive days, on seven continents...all after a double heart bypass!

Explorer tells the definitive story of this extraordinary life of adventure. It has been said that the "man has become a myth." Watching the documentary certainly made me want to get off my couch and have an adventure!

THINGS I LIKED: At the beginning of the movie, we see an almost endless list of Sir Ranulph Fiennes' accomplishments. He truly pushed the boundaries of what a human can do.

The film combines amazing archive footage of past feats, as well as takes a look at what he's currently doing in his life.

We learn that Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes inherited his title as 3rd baronet, but he prefers being called simply "Ran" because he explains he hasn't earned the title.

It's interesting to also learn that he grew up among mostly women: mother and aunts. He admits that much of what he did in life was to become like his father. He talks of the ghosts of his father and grandfather who were war heroes, and how he doesn't want to disappoint them.

Ran's wife must have been quite a woman. She described herself as "just a housewife", yet she was the impetus for many of the adventures and quite the adventurer and marketer herself. We get to see old footage of her as a young child, teenager, and wife. Sadly, they never had children together and she died of cancer. About losing her, he said, "The love was huge and time doesn't heal it." She encouraged him to marry again, which he did after her death. He even had a daughter who is currently involved in conservation efforts.

In the film, he criticized "packaged vacations" where tourists see all of the typical locations. Instead, he challenged people to look for something unique and off the beaten path.

He's honest about why he goes on speaking tours: to pay the bills. His adventures were notoriously expensive and he had to raise all of the funds himself. He's never had much money and currently drives a beat-up Ford Mondeo covered in duct tape. At the end of the film, we see a title card claiming that it's for sale. Haha We get to see video clips of a young Prince Charles of England giving praise to Ran for his "gloriously mad" adventures.

In addition to his quest to explore the world, he auditioned to be James Bond in the movies, and can now add filmmaker to his resume!

He laments his old age and inability to do everything he used to be able to do. As the camera shows him going on a slow hike up a hill, a fast jogger runs by and he laughs, "Those were the days." His matter-of-fact attitude about life and death is revealed when he states, "We have a time down here and when it's done, it's done."

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The film jumps around in Ran's timeline, which might feel confusing for viewers.

A narrator might have been helpful to tie scenes together.

I wonder how Ran's second wife feels about her tiny amount of screen time she got at the end of the film. It would be hard to live in Ginny's shadow. Ran admits that being married again and having a daughter make his life complete.

You can't do great things and break barriers without criticism from others, so it was interesting to hear quite a few voice recordings that pointed out negative things about Ran.

Ran has been criticized for not being more vulnerable in interviews and taking more time for self-reflection.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will mostly be bored.

Several F-bombs Talk of killing men in war Dangerous activities You see fingers that have been frostbitten very badly and hear how Ran sawed off the tips of his own fingers on his left hand! EEK!

THEMES: Courage Determination Drive Goals Passion Vision.

You can see the full review on the Movie Review Mom YouTube channel.

A wonderfully told story of a fine human being: emotional, inspiring, eventful, a lifetime of challanges and achievments. A very complementing cinematoghrapic experience, fills Ran's life story with pictures and colour. Unmissable for those who are already familiar with his life, and should inspire to read his books for those who haven't done so yet.

Greetings again from the darkness. Not so long ago, it was a compliment to be called "a man's man." It was a term of endearment and respect that meant a man was strong, quiet, adventurous, and trustworthy. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, born Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, fit the bill. He refused the royal title saying being born into it is not the same as earning it. The man-the myth-the legend is cousin to actors Joseph and Ralph Fiennes, and has been better labeled as "the greatest living explorer", and documentarian Matthew Dyas wants us to know all about him.

An astonishing list of 'Ran's' (as he prefers to be called) exploits, adventures, and records scrolls over the film's opening. We don't even have time to absorb what we're being fed, but the first thought is ... no one man could have done all of this. Director Dyas takes us through Ran's childhood and his service in the Army. Turns out, he was always one to push boundaries. A significant portion of the film is spent detailing the long-time relationship between Ran and his first wife, Ginny. She was his biggest supporter, and the love of his life. We learn this, and much more, through the fantastic archival footage, photographs, and audio recordings, the latter of which are used instead of the customary talking heads posed for the camera.

This is a man who traversed the planet through both poles. Ran takes us through the process of cutting off the tips of his own frostbite-damaged fingers on his left hand by using a hacksaw and having Ginny assist. We learn about his heart attack, which caused him to 'take it easy' as he ran 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents (known as the World Marathon Challenge). When Ginny was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2004, she encouraged him to re-marry. He did so to Louisa, with whom he fathered his only child. After the wedding, Ran headed back to Mount Everest, and at age 65, was successful on what was his third attempt. He also self-treats his Parkinson's with frigid sea water.

Perhaps "a man's man" is not so fitting for Ranulph Fiennes. With this being a partial list of what he's done in his life, there can be no other man who belongs to his club. Of course, he has his detractors, and director Dyas allows those to have their say. But the actual video footage and recollections of those who knew him are simply too amazing to disparage. He's now 78 years old and still has his adventure goals. Learning about Ranulph Fiennes is likely to humble you and hopefully inspire a few to push those boundaries.

Available on Digital and On Demand beginning August 30, 2022.