Vertical Limit

Directed by Martin Campbell, Vertical Limit follows several characters, including Chris O’Donnell’s Peter and Scott Glenn’s Montgomery, as they embark on a perilous rescue mission after several climbers are stranded near the peak of K2. Filmmaker Martin Campbell, armed with a script by Robert King and Terry Hayes, does a superb job of immediately drawing the viewer into the somewhat hit-and-miss proceedings, as Vertical Limit kicks off with an engrossing and thoroughly exciting opening sequence that effectively establishes the two central characters and the rift between them – with the movie, beyond that point, seguing into a fairly meandering midsection that does feel as though it could (and should) be more enthralling. It’s clear, then, that Campbell effectively maintains a perpetually watchable atmosphere by suffusing the proceedings with gripping sequences and set-pieces, including a fantastic scene wherein Peter must jump from one mountain peak to the other, and there’s little doubt, as well, that Vertical Limit benefits from the uniformly appealing performances and myriad of compelling subplots – which, when coupled with a fairly electrifying final stretch, cements the picture’s place as an overlong yet mostly satisfying mountain-climbing adventure.

*** out of ****