Vertical Limit Doesn't Reach New Heights,
But It's Still Worth a Look
By Teddy Durgin

"Vertical Limit," directed by Martin Campbell, is one of those movies whose trailer was so fantastic that the end result was bound to be disappointing.  This is not a bad film.  It just won't be a particularly memorable one.  Oh, sure.  Two or three years down the line, I will remember specific moments.  Cool shots.  But probably none of the characters.  "Vertical Limit" simply doesn't have much heart.  It moves swiftly from fabulous stunt to fabulous stunt with the efficiency of a roller coaster ride that resets itself every five minutes.  The flick kept my interest.  No doubt about it.  But when I left the theater, I was no better or no worse than when I came in.  I was simply ready for the next ride to start, whether next week or the week after.

Chris O'Donnell stars as photographer Peter Garrett, whose sister Annie (the very fit, very fetching Robin Tunney) becomes trapped in an avalanche on K2 in the Himalayas after she agrees to help a billionaire (Bill Paxton) scale the daunting peak.  Coming from a mountain-climbing family, as established by a dazzling prologue, Peter dusts off his L.L. Bean wardrobe and assembles a team to go rescue sis.

That's really all you need to know about the flick.  Of course, much goes wrong on the trip up.  Of course, the Boy Wonder gets to have a semi-love interest in the form of a gorgeous base-camp nurse (Izabella Scorupo from "GoldenEye").  And, of course, his team will be made up of eccentric character types.  I especially liked Scott Glenn as the grizzled veteran of many mountains. Being a sci-fi fan, I also appreciate Campbell's casting of several genre vets in key roles, including: Alexander Siddig, Dr. Bashir from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," as a Pakastani climber; Nicolas Lea, the scummy Krychek from "The X-Files," as a member of Tunney's team; and Temeura Morrison, who will play a certain member of the Fett family in the next "Star Wars" flick, as a helicopter pilot.

This being a big-budget Hollywood production, there are plenty of moments where you will have to suspend your disbelief.  No, I'm not talking about that scene in the commercials where the guy dangles from his pick ax from the side of the mountain.  I'm talking about Bill Paxton as a smarmy billionaire.  Come on!  The guy still uses his Private Hudson voice from "Aliens" in 90 percent of his roles.  After the avalanche, I kept expecting him to cry out: "Game over, man!"

Campbell is a director I have come to admire greatly.  He is a craftsman.  His early work on the TV show "Homicide: Life on the Street" is extremely underrated.  He directed the single greatest episode of television ever, titled "Three Men and an Adena," in which two police detectives question a suspected child killer for the show's entire running time.  From there, he went on to helm the first James Bond film to star Pierce Brosnan, followed by the tremendously fun "The Mask of Zorro" in 1998.  Campbell knows how to shoot action.  He promises thrills, and he delivers them.

What he doesn't deliver is a compelling human drama.  I was often dazzled watching "Vertical Limit," but rarely was I digging my hands into the seat.  But because of its spectacle, I'm going to treat it as I did "Twister" and "Armageddon."  Neither are great films, nor is "Vertical Limit."  But they should only be seen on a big screen if they are to be seen at all.  Pay the matinee
price and avoid making this mole hill into a mountain at the box office.