Vertical Limit (2000)

It's not the painfully thin story line, predictable plot or shallow stereotypical characters featured in this movie. It's not even the constant stream of amazingly improbable events, which give you the feeling the director hopelessly underestimated the reasoning abilities of his audience.

What left me disappointed and even a bit annoyed after seeing "Vertical Limit" is the absolute and total failure of this movie to capture any of the real thrill, excitement and hardship involved in scaling the world's second highest mountain.

Books like Jon Krakauers' "Into thin Air" and movies like David Breashears' "Everest" prove that you don't need helicopter rotor blades threatening to dismember climbers or unstable nitroglycerine that explodes if exposed to sunlight to create an exciting story. When Martin Campbell decided to deny the audience any sense of the real technical, physical and emotional challenges of climbing K2, and therefore had to resort to action-movie style heroes, villains and explosions, he left behind a movie too unconvincing, for me to enjoy.

Fmovies: Having climbed in the Andes, Tian Shan, St. Elias and other

mountain ranges across the planet, I was often asked what I

thought of this movie, and it's accuracy.

This is, without doubt, the least accurate film on climbing I have

ever seen. This movie is simply absurd. I consider it about as

"accurate" as, say, Spy Kids is to global espionage.

In addition to the gaffs pointed out, I wanted to state what was

most amusing to me: Inside the crevasse, the climbers ice tools

bounce off the crevasse walls like they're made out of solid steel

(and 'ping' just like it). But when Chris O'Donnall does his full

sprint (at altitude!) and huge leap across a cavernous abyss, he

drives his ice tools into the other side - made of solid rock - and

sticks like Spiderman. The film is filled with many other absurd

implausabilities that insult the sport it manipulates in the guise of

entertainment.

Aside from that, as so many others have noted, the movie is

simple minded action. If you don't mind laughing at much of it, and

don't for a moment think it represents realistic climbing, leave your

brain at the door and you might have some fun. But most people

will just find it absurd rubbish.

If you like Action movies for their escapism, you will love Vertical Limit. It deserves a 9/10 rating.

If you need reality, go elsewhere. It would only be a 2/10 rating. Better yet, go watch a documentary.

This movie is no different than the Spielberg formula, from movies like Indiana Jones. However, for those of us that like the formula, this is great entertainment.

The writing gets a 5/10 Special Effects - 10 Camera work - 10 Acting - 8 Character development - 6

Have some fun, turn off the thinking cap, and watch this action flick.

Vertical Limit fmovies. What is wrong with these people who want every movie to be like gone with the wind? or Titanic? When I went to the theater to see Vertical Limit, i got everything i wanted to see, great action sequences, great special FX, a few funny moments, and not a bad story. Sure some of the scenes were pretty incredible and unbelievable, but if you want a movie about reality, or believability, watch your home movies!! I really enjoyed this movie and I am telling everyone to see it, but to see it for what it is, a great action flick. Some people are just too picky about everything and should just relax and try to enjoy a movie once in a while instead of trying to pick it apart.

In this high-octane action film, three climbers make stupid decisions at 26,000 feet, en route to the summit of K2, the world's second highest mountain. The climber's peril thus necessitates a rescue, which puts additional people on the mountain and at risk of dying. That's it. The story is thus fairly thin, but the filmmakers insert all kinds of natural and human obstacles, conflict, and difficulties to rev up the action and excitement.

The film's CGI creates compelling tension. We have the illusion of vertical scale, or perspective, which translates into a needed sense of vertigo. The sensation that the characters could, at any moment, fall to their deaths is the film's strength.

The mountain scenery is also nice, although it is sometimes wasted, because of the film's fast pace. Cinematography is quite good. And some of the scene transitions make the film flow really well.

Dialogue seems flat to me. Production design and costumes are adequate. Acting is largely irrelevant.

By far, the biggest flaw is the unrealistic amount of action. In the plot, everything that could go wrong does go wrong, from bad weather to avalanches to exploding nitro to human conflict and discord. It's all a bit much. But, that seems to be a problem inherent to outdoor action films. Directors cram in too much chaos.

Another minus is the background music, which is irritatingly nondescript. For a film set mostly in Asia, I could have wished for more indigenous music which, when combined with the majesty of the mountains, could have added emotional depth and a sense of mystery and awe.

"Vertical Limit" does have an emotional spine to its story, but that is secondary to the super action plot. Viewers who expect well thought out characters, meticulous plotting, or a subtle "theme" will need to look elsewhere. This film is strictly for people who like heavy-duty outdoor action.

How can anyone spend so much money and make a picture like this? The effects were good but how many really stupid / bad things can happen in one film or one person's life. If only two of the many, many catastrophes that happened in the movie happened in real life it would be like lightning striking you twice. Everything that the actors did (pretending to be the best of the best climbers) seemed to go against them. Really, do you think a professional climber would leave his back pack where it could slide down the mountain? This is your life we're talking about. How about a nylon climbing rope that snaps two feet above the ground just after stopping a long fall. You can't see anyone's breath and it's cold up there. But the way, there aren't any open flame fires that I know of (unless the fuel contains it's own oxygen) anywhere near that altitude. Or how about a professional climber (who relies on good lungs) that smokes. Really, enough is enough!

If you can't think well you might like this movie but it you have some brains, no way! No real plot development - only special effects over and over and over...Unfortunately not even plausible special effects. Jumping a crevasse (didn't they know it was there before they took that route) and actually sticking to the other side. Come on!

I could go on and on but I won't. Nice scenery though. I like the actors but not in this movie.

Well, that's my take and thanks.