R E V I E W S

Vertical Limit (2000)

Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Bill Paxton, Izabella Scorupco, Robin Tunney
Director: Martin Campbell
Rating: PG-13

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Review Posted: 6.7.01

Rating: 2.5/4

By Michael Brendan McLarney.

"High Altitude Dementia"

There are indeed some intriguing elements in "Vertical Limit." Enough to make me almost feel guilty for not getting more involved in the story than I did.

Chris O'Donnell plays a young adventurer named Peter Garrett. (A good action hero name.) Actually, he's not a hero per se, but will perhaps have to procure that status if he is to successfully rescue his sister, Annie (Robin
Tunney) from the dreaded K2, a mountain whose peak houses temperatures so cold, the frozen bodies of unsuccessful climbers decorate the apex like a Christmas tree. Not only is his sister's life at stake, but so is his
guilt-ridden conscience. While on a mountain-climbing expedition with his sister and father, a freak accident occurred leaving Peter the unfortunate task of making a truly horrific decision - one that has haunted him for years. It's the opening scene in the movie, one that gets the film off to a blazing start, but ends with a shot as goofy as it is gratuitous ... not exactly the movie's high point (no pun intended).

Cut to years later - Peter now works as a photographer for National Geographic while Annie continues to scale mountains. She's been enlisted by a thrill-seeking millionaire (Bill Paxton) to assist him in conquering K2. But the trek goes bad, and the climbers soon find themselves trapped inside a large crevasse atop the ethereal mountain. Peter - already at a nearby location on an assignment (funny how that works out) - is alerted to the problem, and immediately assembles a rescue team, although his proposal is met with a certain degree of incredulity. (When first presenting his plan, one of the responses is: "A hundred-thousand sperm and you were the quickest?") For a mission of this sort, he'll need an expert climber. The most qualified is a recluse named Montgomery Wick (Scott Glenn). (The script does gives its characters terrific names.) A team is eventually put
together, and thus begins the potentially deadly ascent toward the heavens.

While not exactly the most involving of movies, the screenplay does have a few nice touches that I did appreciate. I liked the fact that in order to free the survivors from the fissure, the rescuers have to carry nitro in their backpacks - and how that causes some unforeseen problems along the way. And I also admired the way some of the action scenes were staged, even if the special effects weren't very impressive. One scene involves the team being dropped off part way up the mountain by a helicopter - the mechanical bird quavering and tottering violently amidst the high altitude. The effects aren't mesmerizing, but the idea sure was neat.

Despite those moments I appreciated, the movie as a whole evoked a mixed reaction from me. I have a tough time giving the film a solid recommendation, simply because I was never quite pulled in as much as I could have been, even though some individual parts did manage to gain my admiration. Journeyman director Martin Campbell isn't particularly skilled
at telling stories showered with enormous emotional impact, but he is getting better at showcasing his abilities as an action movie technician. "Vertical Limit" is a case in point. The individual parts are directed with noticeable skill, yet the story doesn't quite reach as high as its mountainous setting.

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