If a movie makes money, what do you do? Make a sequel of course! Masters of Stone is the first climbing film I can recall having a proper sequel, and paved the way for the series format my generation enjoyed with the Dosage franchise (One day I’ll review all those. One day)
We gave the original MoS a lukewarm review a few weeks ago, but this sequel comes out the gate improved over that first attempt. Not much, but better. Straight off, there’s no cringe-worthy narration, but there are a trio of 5.13 sends, rock music, and a decent interview about the reality of being broke. Something else that stuck out to me on the recreation development front closes the segments – “They pay people to build trails, why not pay to put up routes”?
We transition to footage of Ron Kauk on Midnight Lightning, and I have deja vu as I think this is the same shot used in Painted Spider. Staying in Yosemite, Hidetaka Suzuki, an underappreciated at unassuming man, straight crushes 5.13 pitchs on Salathe. In a segment that feels straight out of the 2020s, Mark Chapman pontificates on the increase in regulation around climbing to protect the park, despite the park having just built a mile long tunnel to allow ever more tourist traffic.
Still in Yosemite, we see real deal AID CLIMBING with Rick Lovelace. Not enough modern films include hard aid, so this is a treat in a way. He makes a Zodiac (A3+) speed solo, hammering in pins over a soundtrack befitting a honkytonk bar. Later in the film we’ll see Rick hammer bashies and discuss A5 (SHOW ME A CORPSE) – while a fall on A5 may kill you, we’ll never know because falling isn’t an option. To prove the point he drops a haulbag from the top of a pitch he just finished and its not pretty.
In a different part of California, Shelly Cooper takes on Tahoe’s Feather Cliff, and speaks to the necessity of pushing ourselves. Scored by what could be a Misfits b-side, DanO cruises Lightning Dream, captured a wild panning shot that is ahead of its time, and then solos a bit because thats what DanO does.
Being a boulderer, I was very stoked for the Joshua Tree segment, and had a good laugh at each being given a YDS grade (Verm’s Hueco scale hadn’t made it there yet) I also really loved seeing bouldering as it was – showing the existence of polebrushes, but only a carpet square to save your ankles, with legit padless falls off boulders I’d like to get on one day (Will I go padless to honor this? We shall see). This segment stands out as there appear to be filters applied, yet while our climber is a legit rockband bassist, the backing track is low on the lowtones.
Off to Rifle we catch up with Kurt Smith, who’s mullet might steal the show if he weren’t pulling on Slice of Life which dips into the 5.14 grade. Before we leave, Jimmy Surette makes a lap up Crack open the sky. In the Needles, Kauk climbs Titanic and objectively beautiful Pyromania over as soundrtrack of vaguely medieval piano.
Dan Osman solos Atlantis over a Slayer-esque soundtrack and the route looks proper gorgeous, and he’s shown soloing it again later in the segment. Perhaps more impressive, an onsight free solo of Boulder Display of Power. Like any good soloist, Dan speaks on the risks, “I don’t want to die. If I did, I’d just let go, its that easy.” Not a deathwish, a “lifewish”, per se. A few more filters and laid over the shots here, and we see a pretty gnarly BMX crash (ed: Justin used to try and ride BMX with about as much success)
Back in Yosemite, Mark Wellman (paralyzed from the waist down) finally gets his due with a proper length segment, ascending Lost Arrow Spire with Tommy Thompmson. A quick blip through Baja Mexico and then we’re back to Yosemite with Ron Kauk. It might not seem like much today, but his ascent of Crossroads is a big deal, and even the most recent ReelRock 3 decades later highlighted it as his son Lonnie ticked it. From there, a few more proper routes take us to our mandatory closing montage.
Credit to the producers and editors, this film feels more professional with shots at varied distances, solid climber commentary voiceover, far fewer non-sequitor interstitials, and a complete lack of professional wrestling antics. That said, with the benefit of future knowledge, there’s a bit of this film that bothers me, and it needs mention. Dan Osman returns with his rope swings, including a 192 foot whipper off the Rostrum Roof, and a 590 footer from a bridge. The first resulted in a melted sling, and the second is billed both for its height, but also that it was done on a single rope with no backup. Knowing how Dan met his end, at the same age I am now, it’s an uneasy watch.
Verdict: Borrow It! It’s definitely an improvement on the first in the series, but I think the best is yet to come.
The Who: Ron Kauk, Dan Osman, Kurt Smith, Rick Lovelace, Mark Wellman, Terry Parish, Dan McQuade, Hidetaka Suzuki, Mike Paul, Shelly Presson
The What\Where:
Yosemite, CA
* Midnight Lightning – V8
* Salathe Wall – 5.13
* Zodiac – A3
* Lost Arrow Spire
* Crossroads – 5.13
Needles, SD
*Atlantis – 5.11
*Airy Interlude – 5.9 (solo)
* Titanic – 5.12a
* Pyromania – 5.13b
Mt. Charleston, NV
* Borderline – 5.13a
* Infectious Grooves – 5.13b
* Ghetto Boyz – 5.13c
Joshua Tree, CA
* Streetcar Named Desire – 5.12
* JBM – 5.12
* So High – 5.12+
* Planet X – 5.12
Jailhouse Rock, CA
* Cell Block – 5.13a
Rifle, CO
* Cracked Open Sky – 5.13d
* Slice of Life – 5.14a
Lake Tahoe, CA
* Feather Cliff – 5.12a
* Lightning Dream – 5.12d
* Crystal Bay Boulder
Baja, Mexico