REEL CRITICS

An adrenaline rush in time for the holidays

“Up there, you’re not dying, you’re dead.”

At the vertical limit, there’s no time to be bored. There’retwo

choices -- up the mountain or off the mountain, and the second option is

not such a fun idea.

“Vertical Limit” tells the story of a fast race to the top, with three

teams trying to find any survivors of a climbing team that fell under a

mountain storm and avalanche.

There should be a warning for this movie, like the ones on the

amusement park rollercoasters. From the moment “Vertical Limit” starts

to the minute the credits roll, there is a very high stress level. It

gives you this crazy adrenaline rush.

Add that to the chilly air-conditioning rushing into the movie

theater, and it’s hard to believe you’re not up on the mountain in the

midst of the wildness too.

Before we go any further, it should be admitted that this is an action

movie. They need to get up the mountain in short time. Not much of a

plot, but there is an interesting subplot that cannot be mentioned

without ruining the movie. It’s a great new twist on the old formula.

The stunts are spectacular. There is no way to guess what will happen

from one minute to the next, and that’s what makes this action movie

interesting.

“Vertical Limit” goes well beyond the action movie mentality. It has

an appeal to those who are not fans of action films. The characters are

skillfully crafted and superbly acted. The surroundings are absolutely

amazing.

The mountain shots alone are well worth the money for the movie. It’s

better than many documentaries.

This is Chris O’Donnell’s movie, and he holds it up very well. Unlike

his last movie, “The Bachelor,” “Vertical Limit” actually provides a way

to showcase his abilities to act. The force of his presence is definitely

a great gain for the film. His turn as the protective older brother is

believable, which is probably the highest praise for an action movie

character.

Bill Paxton shines as the slick billionaire who is fronting the

expedition. His smile begs to be slapped off his face.

Robin Tunney, though, is stellar as the idealistic climber. The

changes she has to make when her character gets caught in the avalanche

is a treat to watch. There is a great chemistry between O’Donnell and

Tunney as turbulent siblings.

The characters actually matter to the film. It’s just a bizarre twirl

in the action world that should happen more often.

In this time of holiday rush, “Vertical Limit” is a great stimulant.

It’ll get you ready to tackle the crowds and maybe even scale the walls.

“Vertical Limit” is rated PG-13 for intense life or death situations

and brief strong language.

* MELISSA RICHARDSON is a Costa Mesa resident and a junior at UCI.

Wait for video of adventure film

Ok. Sure, I’ve seen better movies than “Vertical Limit.” The plot is

totally predictable, the characters right out of central casting, the

music deafening, but was I on the edge of my seat? You betcha and how!

“Vertical Limit” opens with a lovely family outing -- if you call

hanging from the side of a cliff in Utah lovely. Brother and sister

climbers Peter and Annie Garrett (Chris O’Donnell and Robin Tunney) and

their father are happy to be spending time together. Then, a horrific

tragedy occurs, separating the siblings for three years.

A coincidental meeting in PAkistan at the foot of the Himalayas brings

them back together. Annie has become a world-reknowned climber, and

Peter, now a National Geographic photographer, hears that she is at a

basecamp with billionaire Elliot Vaughn (Bill Paxton) in order to scale

K2 as part of a publicity stunt (big mistake).

Almost as soon as the climbing party begins their ascent, they run

afoul of the mountain (big surprise) and a rescue attempt must be made.

Peter, not a skilled enough climber, signs on five additional people

(can you say suckers?), one a legend in mountaineering (Scott Glenn as

Montgomery Wick).

As they begin thre rescue, tragedy surrounds them (go figure). They

get blown up, run over by an avalanche, slide off cliffs and are unable

to breathe in the high altitude. But on they trek, and some do make it

out alive, completing the rescue.

I know the whole thing sounds very contrived, and as with most

adventure films, it is. But I did find myself gripping the arm rests,

peering out from behind my fingers and holding my breath.

The acting in the film is passable, with Scott Glenn’s performance

actually being good. Bill Paxton’s bad-boy billionaire role is also well

done.

Chris O’Donnell is easy on the eyes but not too believeable in his

role.

The true star of the movie is the scenery, which is a combination of

some of the Himalayas and some of New Zealand’s Mt. Cook. For a person

who doesn’t expect to visit the Himalayas, I found the aerial photography

beautiful.

If, and that’s a big if, you find yourself with some extra time this

holiday season and want to see a predictable, but entertaining adventure

film, go see “Vertical Limit.”

Otherwise, pop your own corn, chill a soda and wait for the video. I

think it’ll be available soon.

* HEIDI BRESSLER, 35, is a hairstylist and Costa Mesa resident.