Vertical Limit

Name: Vertical Limit

Genre: Adventure/Thriller

Cast: Chris O’Donnell, Bill Paxton, Scott Glenn, Robin Tunney, Martin Campbell (Director)

Synopsis: Peter Garrett (Chris O’Donnell), Annie Garret (Robin Tunney) and his father Royce Garrett were climbing a cliff in mountain range of Southwestern United States. Some amateurs got loose from their rope and footing fitted in the clip thus, endangering the life of all Peter, Annie and his father Royce. Royce ordered Peter to cut his rope so that Annie could be saved and the rope will not be able to take the weight of all the three. Peter had to no choice but to cut the rope even he didn’t want it to do so. Years later, Now Peter has been retired from climbing and now is just a wildlife photographer. Annie now has become a renowned mountain climber. Peter shows up in a base camp where Annie was about to start his climbing expedition at Mount K2, world’s Second highest mountain. Elliot Vaughan (Bill Paxton) is a well known industrialist and Tom McLaren also a well known mountain climber. Last night before the expedition to start, they people over there were partying and enjoying but suddenly a man named Montgomery Wick came there asked few questions and concerns about the expedition. In the morning, they started expedition but soon weather becomes bad resulting into a disaster. Annie, Elliot and Tom got stuck into a crevasse. Annie uses Morse code to try to contact with the base and Peter too know the Morse code who already at the base, decrypts it and was relieved when came to know that Annie is alive with rest of the other two. As they came know that they are stuck in crevasse and to get them out they need an explosive so they asked Pakistani army for the same as Mount K2 is in Pakistan. They gave them an explosive called nitroglycerin. During night he asked people over there to help them in rescuing Annie and others stuck up in the mountain. He manages to get Cyril, Malcolm, Kareem, Monique and Skip Taylor. But enquiring about the things they have and estimates of time that things will be used, Skip tells Peter that they need guy like Montgomery Wick to reach them on time. After few arguing Wick accepted to go with Skip at base.

 Teams were divided and helicopter makes them land at best position from where they had to start journey on foot. As the expedition goes ahead, Cyril and Monique land into trouble as Cyril got off balance and got himself hanging on the cliff but Monique rescues him but soon avalanche came running down takes Cyril with him and Monique clings to the cliff, but soon Monique rescues herself and moved forward. She informs the base camp and moved forward. Soon the persons carrying the expedition came to know that the Nitroglycerin explodes as soon as it comes into the contact of sunlight and they too quickly took nitroglycerin in shade to avoid sunlight. Monique, Peter and Wick successfully avoid this did disaster but Malcolm and Kareem instead of taking proper action in avoiding the explosion didn’t take proper attention that there was a leak in the canister and soon the nitroglycerin explodes killing Malcolm and Kareem. Annie on other hand begins to suffer from edema when water begins to form inside her lungs. Tom also is severely injured. Annie pleads Vaughan that he should use dexamethasone to save Tom. But Vaughan isn’t interested in saving him as this will only decrease their chances of survival at it goes further. Monique finds a body of a woman fully frozen in the mountain. As she moved closer Wick came there and asked her not to touch her. Wick told Peter that Vaughan is responsible for his wife’s death and empty box here proves it and plans to kill him. Peter warns Wick that he will not him kill to which Wick responds that he should be more concerned about her daughter rather than him and Vaughan. On Annie’s camp, at night Vaughan takes some Dex himself and kills Tom with the syringe, to save remaining Dex for himself. In the morning, Wick sees that Peter has moved on alone with Monique. Soon they reached the place where Annie and Vaughan were trapped. Peter used nitroglycerin to detonate a part of mountain so that from there Annie and Vaughan can come out. When they attempts to rescue them Annie and Vaughan the hooks got loose and they were about to Annie but soon Wick came there and takes situation in his control. He came down to Annie and Vaughan so that Annie could be lifted above properly and as they were lifting Annie a piece dislodged from there leaving Annie, Vaughan and Wick hanging on the rope in the manner as Annie as above of them, Wick in between and Vaughan at the bottom. Wick understands that rope will not be able to take the weight of all three of them and calmly cut the rope leaving only Annie above so that she can be saved at least. Wick and Vaughan falls to death in the depths of cliff. Peter reunites at base camp below and pay respects at memorial for those who killed at K2 including Wick, his wife, Tom, Cyril, Malcolm, Kareem and Vaughan.

Review: A good movie with some good performances by almost most of the Cast including Chris O’Donnell, Scott Glenn. Concept of the movie was very unique and so do was the screenplay. The movie shows what type of difficulty is being faced by the mountain climbers in proper and real way as in the real life the climbers face. Special effects of the movie were average. At some point, the movie does have some loose edges but as a whole it is adventurous movie with some thrills in it.

Stars given: 3 out of 5.