I had no expectations. Perhaps this explains my enjoyment, but I'm not sure I need an excuse.
Millionaire Elliot Vaughan (Bill Paxon) wants to climb K2 just in time to wave at his airplane making its maiden flight at 2:00, along with famous chick adventure climber Annie Garrett, daughter of famous mountain climber who died three years earlier in a rockclimbing tragedy that involved both Annie and her brother, Peter (Chris O'Donnell) that naturally left the sibs estranged ever since.
Peter went the other way and photographs snow leopards for National Geographic. In Pakistan, of course, since how else could he be around to hear of the avalanche that wipes out all of the Vaughan expedition except Paxon, Annie, and a red shirt equivalent? If he hadn't been there, who would mount a rescue expedition with 2 comic Australians, a Pakistani sherpa, and a French Canadian babe with an endless supply of Max Factor for Mountains? Who would have persuaded David Carra--uh, Scott Glenn, to come along as the legendary toeless wifeless Buddhist mountaineer and restore Peter's confidence in himself and the ranges where he lost Daddy? Who would have been around to pass off constipation as concern? Keanu Reeves, that's who, which is why I wish O'Donnell had been filming the Bactrian camel in the Gobi desert. He doesn't stand out as egregiously as the breast job with a brain cell in Starship Troopers, but he does detract and Surfer Boy would have been perfect.
I forgot to mention the nitro. There always has to be nitro--or some external danger other than the immediate circumstance. Only a chickenshit "serious" film would consider climbing K2 on a time limit to be dangerous enough for any three movies. Limit has no such pretensions, thanks so much, so it is naturally necessary for the ragtag team to haul 3 cannisters of the touchy explosive up the hill.
Script, such as it is, is clunky. Characterization? Not this time out. No one save Glenn is caught acting, but all save O'Donnell get the job done.
But set your expectations properly. The comparison isn't The Fugitive, or In The Line of Fire, but Executive Decision and Tremors. In short, this is a kickass B-flick, and what sets it apart from the run of the mill are eight to ten outstanding action sequences that seamlessly blend stunts and CGI. Any one of them is as good as anything done in the past couple of years, and two of them--the initial rock climbing tragedy and the 22,000 foot helicopter lift--are purely perfect Bruised Forearm moments.
Let me say with much approval that the two women climbers don't ever fuck up, are incredibly tough, don't need to be helped along, and could just as easily be men if our hero didn't need someone to smooch with over the credits without fussing the people in Podunk.
