Trapped near the summit of K2, the world's second-highest mountain, Annie Garrett radios to base camp for help. Brother Peter hears Annie's message and assembles a team to save her and her group before they succumb to K2's unforgiving elements. But, as Annie lays injured in an icy cavern, the rescuers face several terrifying events that could end the rescue attempt -- and their lives.
Some parts were dumb (the nitro bombs for instance) and the CGI not always the best (albeit this was 20 years ago, so some forgiveness) but I liked the cast, Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney and Scott Glenn especially, and thought all in all was an entertaining enough survival-thriller. 3.25/5
A Fun Time but overKILL to the Extreme
I had high hopes for this film after seeing the thrilling opening sequence in Monument Valley, Utah; but, alas, it was not to be.
THE STORY: A famous female climber gets stuck in an ice cave with two others near the top of K2, the second highest mountain on Earth. Her brother, who has sworn off climbing because of his father's climbing death, has no choice but to assemble a team to rescue the trio.
WHAT WORKS: As already mentioned, the opening sequence is excellent, the locations are great (the New Zealand Alps), the story pretty much keeps your attention (until the absurdities really mount up -- pun intended) and both Robin Tunney & Izabella Scorupco are deliciously beautiful.
WHAT D...
When a rock face climb robs Peter (Chris ODonnell) and sister Annie (Robin Tunney) of their nobly sacrificing father, rather than abandon their climbing the siblings immerse themselves in ever more dangerous challenges - and few can be more so than the Himalayan K2. With wealthy Americans willing to pay millions of dollars for permits to ascend, this could prove lucrative even if some of them are so reckless as to put everyones life at risk on their search for adrenalin. One such expedition is to take Vaughn (Bill Paxton) up the mountain but not long after they start the weather turns against them and with an avalanche on their tail, they are lucky to find themselves deep in a crevasse where they can, injured, shelter. Meantime, well of cou...