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Vertical Limit

© James C. Hess

A wise old bird, who knew the great liars--John Ford, John Huston, Howard Hawks, once told me the single difference between a successful Hollywood director and a not-so successful one is that the successful one is a better liar, when it comes to the telling of tales.

I thought about that wise old bird and what he told me recently as I watched "Vertical Limit", and I had to wonder: How many lies were told to get this movie made and what kind of lies were told to make the movie resulting: A certain box office failure.

Oh, yes. No mistake here: "Vertical Limit" is a certain box office failure. (If it isn't as I write this, it will be.)

It is a certain box office failure because it is, from the first frame, a lie. In fact, to be honest, it is many lies, piled high.

Lie: "Vertical Limit" is a brilliant, original effort that will leave you breathless. It is the story of Man against Nature. It is the triumph of the Human Spirit, with lots of can-do.

Not. It is the infamous twice-chewed meal: Recycled formulaic nonsense, heavy on the pulp.

I have heard comparisons made between "The Perfect Storm" and "Vertical Limit". The comparisons, at best, are hyperbole offered by Hollywood sycophants and whores. There is no comparison between these two efforts. None whatsoever. Where "The Perfect Storm" shows characters realistically and honestly "Vertical Limit" shows them as nothing less than godlike.

Of course the absence of reality overall doesn't help: There are three climbers, trapped in an ice cave near the top of K2: A millionaire, an experienced guide, and the hero's sister, weilding nitro. And they--

Wait. Best to do this proper: Chris O'Donnell stars as Peter Garrett, a National Geographic photographer. He and his sister, Annie (Robin Tunney) are introduced at the start of the movie by way of a flashback: They are seen with their father in happier times. Happier times that end not-so happily: Peter cuts a climbing rope that sends his father falling to his death but that saves Peter and his sister.

Of course, this action causes a problem between Peter and Annie in the years that follow: Had he not done this three lives would have been lost instead of one. Annie says he is wrong to have done this, but Peter is reassured by the legendary mountaineer Montgomery Wick (Scott Glenn) he did right.

Predictably, it follows someone, later in "Vertical Limit", will repeat the action.

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