Vertical Limit (Widescreen)

Now THIS is what I call an epic ride! My palms are basically still sweating as I write this, with the movie's impact and touching story still making my heart race. Don't listen to anybody who says this movie is anything short of incredible! It's got it all! It's a rare moment in your life when you come across something that moves you with both the power of MASSIVE fiery explosions and the pure strength of the human spirit. These two things come together for a story of passion and ambition, loyalty and revenge, and tests the breaking point of the human spirit at 26,000 feet.

OK, so what can I say that hasn't been said? First of all, this is a bold movie, combining deadly action with a story of family loyalty. You have to keep in mind that this is an action movie first though. The main attraction is the promise of nitroglycerin bombs rocketing minor characters through the air, flinging them over cliffs to their ultimate deaths. There's also avalanches with the same explosive power blowing people around like leaves. How cool is that?

Or you can watch it for the dialogue, which despite what other commenters are saying is really quite good. The script is so full and rounded with witty one liners, touching moments, and unspoken nuances which can only be displayed through precise acting. Really, the touching fight for survival is as unrelenting as the power of nature. If you like being rocked to the edge of your seat biting your nails as characters literally cling to life, only to to be thrust back again by insane explosions rippling through epic mountains (and who doesn't?), then there's no doubt this DVD will climb to the top of your collection! (no pun intended!) It has everything a good action movie should, with a little welcome extra to set it apart from the rest. And do yourself a service and buy the blu-ray version for SURE! I didn't even talk about the stunning scenery and sound, but you can see the other reviews to back me up on that.

I love this movie.

Granted, from a mountaineering perspective a lot of scenes are plainly ridiculous: the climbing accident at the beginning of the movie where Peter, Annie and their dad all seem to have bombproof protection and are simply ripped off the mountain all the same - people climbing K2 from base camp straight to the summit, all during daylight on one day - Annie's rope being severed as she is falling into a crevasse - Peter Garret summitting even though he has no previous high altitude experience or acclimatization whatsoever - Monique doing her lunge for the crevasse with one cam in her left hand, groping for the rope with her right hand - it is all a load of crap.

Still, it is great entertainment! Loved the emotional moments, eg interactions between Peter and Annie, Montgomery finally finding his wife (frozen to death), etc.

Wonderful music and scenery, besides. As to the scenery, for the people critizing that the movie wasn't all shot on K2: this movie was shot in New Zealand, home of Sir Edmund Hillary! This is where he learned the ropes, ok? And yes, where Lord of the Rings was shot in New Zealand too, by the way.

I got to see this movie at the theatres when it was released back in late 2000 and although I was not expecting anything all that great "Vertical Limit" nonetheless was a half-way decent movie that is an adrenaline rush for action fans, but at the same time was a bit awkward at times.

It begins with Peter Garrett and his sister Annie with their father in the deserts of Arizona and they are climbing a huge mesa but a horrible accident occurs and threatens to kill all of them and their father sacrifices his own life to save his two children by cutting the rope which results in him falling to his death.

Flash forward many years later, things take place in the cold unrelenting winds of K2, the world's second highest mountain but also the most dangerous, Peter and Annie Garrett now adults set out on their adventure to conquer the treacherous peak but the attempt goes horribly wrong when the woman climber falls into a vast ice crevice far away from any nearby camps due to an avalanche, and is stuck in a ice crevice underneath unstable ice forms which threaten to collapse at any moment and time is against them as the raging winds, isolation, and extreme cold threaten to kill the entire crew if it goes wrong.

This movie on a casual note is really quite good because of it's vivid portrayal of the dangers of mountiain climbing especially with climbing some of the worlds highest peaks like K2 which is in fact even more dangerous to climb that Mt. Everest. The overall tone is very intense and not to mention scary as h.e.l.l.

The acting at times though is a bit hammy especially by Robin Tunney and Chris O'Donnell. Scott Glenn as the mysterious mountain dweller though was really good and the character was really something to see.

The superbit Collection has really excellent sound quality and the 5.1 DTS sound when connected to the stereo will make you feel almost like you are back at the theatre watching this movie all over again on the big screen.