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Vertical Limit: Special Edition
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
After rock climbing gained newfound popularity with the best-selling book "Into Thin Air" and the mostly terrific IMAX feature "Everest", it became apparent to me that a big-budget action picture could be made out of the situation - in steps "Vertical Limit", a solid idea for a movie that could have likely chosen a better lead actor.
Chris O'Donnell stars as Peter Garrett, a National Geographic photographer. The opening sequence, a terrifying and tragic one, results in sadness and Peter and his sister Annie(Robin Tunney), both experienced climbers, going their separate ways. Years later, Annie is helping billionare Elliot Vaughn (Bill Paxton) up K2 to wave to the inagural flight of his new airline company as it passes by (no, I'm not kidding. It sounded rather silly to me, too.). A team lead by Annie and climber Tom McClaren(Nicholas Lea) heads up the mountain, but the weather begins to become threatening.
As expected, Elliot doesn't heed the warnings of Tom or anyone else, and decides to continue up the mountain, where disaster strikes, trapping Annie, Tom and Elliot in the middle of an ice cavern. Peter gets together a rescue team to go up and save the stranded climbers. Of course, they must take nitroglycerin up to blow up the cave wall so they could get in, but as one might expect, things don't go quite as planned. Several characters join in the proceeding search party, but we hardly get to know anything about any one of them before they're dispatched.
This brings us to the screenplay, which is generally mediocre, but can sometimes be poor. I can see where someone would look at it and visually, be able to imagine a very cool looking film. But the dialogue and characters are weakly written to the point where one might first question the judgement of dropping $75 million on the film's budget. A favorite line - "it's not going to be just snow, it's going to be rock and ice." (stating the rather obvious.)
Speaking of questionable judgement, one must wonder if other actors either weren't available, or Chris O'Donnell was the only one who took an interest in the film's script, figuring the film might get his deservedly slow career back on track. Previously, I had greatly disliked the acting of Matthew McConaughey until he really showed he has serious talent in "U-571". Those expecting a change from O'Donnell into a dramatic actor aren't going to find it here.
But, I must give credit to director Martin Campbell for making all of this watchable, and occasionally moderately entertaining. Campbell helmed one of the best recent Bond pictures with 1995's "Goldeneye" and did wonderfully well with the thrilling action film "Mask Of Zorro" a few years back. Also, cinematographer David Tattersall("Star Wars: Episode 1" and the upcoming "Episode 2") at least makes the film look stunning (although the choice to film in 1.85:1 instead of 2.35:1 is a strange and unfortunate one). Sound design by supervising sound editor David McMoyler (whose previous efforts include "Mask of Zorro" and, appropriate for this film, "Cliffhanger") and team is also outstanding; the audio is wonderfully convincing of the dangerous mountain environment.
What doesn't always look stunning though, are the film's visual effects. Some of them look pretty respectable, while others are suprisingly unconvincing for a budget as big as this film's was (although none are nearly as bad as a fake bird as the film opens, which looks a little silly). One of the better sequences involves a climber securing himself just as he's about to go over the side of the mountain; successfully tense sequences like this are more of what "Limit" needed.
It's not a complete failure and much of it remained watchable, but "Vertical Limit" remains dissapointing in the fact that, with a better lead actor and screenplay, it had the potential to be something much more.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Vertical Limit" is presented in the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. A few minor flaws didn't take away from the fact that the rest of the picture looked so dazzling that I could hardly believe if the picture looked this "film-like" when it was on film playing in theaters nationwide. Sharpness and detail are nothing less than terrific, with the entire picture looking wonderfully well-defined and crystal clear, often looking jaw-droppingly beautiful. Detail was so good that I could see individual strands of hair on the actors clearly.
...And the image quality nearly is flawless. I noticed literally one or two instances of shimmer and a tiny print flaw or two, but that was about it. I noticed nothing in the way of pixelation and nothing in the way of edge enhancement. Combined with the excellent sharpness and detail, the picture looked marvelously clear and clean.
Colors looked stunning throughout the picture - although many scenes have the white snowy backgrounds, the bright clothes of the climbers really stood out wonderfully against the crisp backgrounds. Flesh tones looked natural and accurate, as well. Tristar has done some great, great work in the past, but the presentation they've given "Vertical Limit" is one of their best. I can easily say this is demo-quality - it's an inch away from perfection.
SOUND: "Vertical Limit" is presented here in Dolby Digital 5.1. Although a good deal of the early part of the film is dialogue-driven, as expected, the sound presentation becomes very exciting once the film really gets going. The sound experience becomes a very agressive one during the mountain sequences, as helicopters sound convincingly as if they're in the same room as you. Winds occasionally whip through the listening space as well, sounding natural and forceful enough to be chilling.
As I mentioned before, some of the effects aren't quite as convincing as they should be, which is why I was so pleased that the sound design of the movie was excellent and thrilling enough to make up where the visuals sometimes lacked. Surrounds are often incredibly active during the most intense sequences, from the subtle cracking in the ice caves to the tremendous explosion when a can of nitro gets loose and takes a good chunk of the moutain with it in more than one scene in the movie. The explosions (as well as some of the other action scenes) provide heavy, strong low bass.
Audio quality is excellent, as the effects sound warm and crisp, and James Newton Howard's score comes through clearly. Dialogue also sounds clear, even above all the rest of the chaos. A very, very good audio presentation that adds a good deal of excitement and thrills. Definitely some amazing specific sequences, audio-wise.
MENUS:: The main menu is wonderfully animated, with a high-tech mountain map background and the score in the background.
EXTRAS:
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Martin Campbell and producer Lloyd Phillips. It's a pretty interesting and informative commentary track as the two discuss the enormous challenges of attempting to mount such a major-budget feature with some occasionally rough conditions - the two are able to remember stories about the difficulties of shooting, which are quite engaging to listen to. The two also lead the viewer through the technical aspects of the feature, from the effects to how the film was able to attempt to re-create conditions on-set. Campbell has provided a commentary before for "Goldeneye" and does a fine job at getting directly to the point and being informative as well as engaging. Phillips doesn't offer quite as much, but still participates a good deal and brings a lot to the table. A solid commentary worth a listen.
Trailers: Trailers for "Vertical Limit"(1.85:1/Dolby Digital 5.1); "Cliffhanger"(full-frame/2.0), "Charlie's Angels"(1.85:1/Dolby Digital 5.1) and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"(full-frame/2.0).
Surviving The Limit: This is a great documentary that takes a look at the dangers that were faced during the making of the picture. Although the documentary is somewhat promotional in nature, there is a very good deal of information to be found as we are taken behind-the-scenes as the actors train for their roles - they only had 4 weeks to prepare. A chunk in the middle of the of the documentary does chat about the film's story a bit much, but I remained interested, as behind-the-scenes footage came in every few minutes. Also look for interview footage with professional top climber Ed Viesturs, who is also in the movie.
Search and Rescue Tales: This is a section that offers several short documentary features, which are actually presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and run from about 3-5 1/2 minutes
1. Vertigo Magic: This is a very interesting 5 1/2 minute documentary on the film's special effects sequences, showing the blue-screen and set work that was done to make the film's more intense sequences. Interviews with the cast (as well as participant and pro climber Ed Vesteurs) also discuss the obstacles that had to be overcome. Viewers are also treated to some scenes that are compared to the scene before the effects with the blue screen.
2. Trekking to K2: This is a short featurette that offers interview footage with professional climber Ed Viesturs, who narrates some amazing footage of a trek towards the mountain that goes over some very rough terrain and wilderness. The footage takes us all the way from the begining preparations to the camp itself.
3. Easy As Falling Off A Cliff: This featurette takes the viewer through the very difficult program of training both indoors and until they moved out into real outdoor locations to learn how to ice climb.
4. Avalanche!: Ed Viesturs discusses his experience of living through an avalanche himself, and the rest of the feature shows the rather crazy camera crew who actually made an avalanche and filmed it for the movie.
5. The Death Zone: A short featurette that talks about the effects of being in the "vertical limit" - a point about 23,000 feet up. All of the massive amount of problems that can face a climber at this point are discussed here.
6. Peak Performance: This featurette takes a look at why climbers do what they do and the mindset behind their efforts.
7. Elixir Of Life: This is a short featurette about the medicine that can help climbers from the very serious illnesses that can happen when they reach extremely high points.
8. Credits: This is a short set of clips behind the credits for the featurettes that are included.
Quest For K2: This is a National Geographic special about K2 that gives an overview of the history of climbers who have succeded in getting to the top of the mountain - and those who have not been able to. It gives a good look at the background of those who attempted to climb the mountain in the past and the mountain itself.
Also: Talent files, production notes.
Final Thoughts: "Vertical Limit" isn't quite the film it could or should have been, but Tristar has done a wonderful, top-notch job with the DVD edition, offering outstanding audio/video quality and some fantastic extras. Their work on the DVD is solid enough to make the film worth at least looking at as a rental.
After rock climbing gained newfound popularity with the best-selling book "Into Thin Air" and the mostly terrific IMAX feature "Everest", it became apparent to me that a big-budget action picture could be made out of the situation - in steps "Vertical Limit", a solid idea for a movie that could have likely chosen a better lead actor.
Chris O'Donnell stars as Peter Garrett, a National Geographic photographer. The opening sequence, a terrifying and tragic one, results in sadness and Peter and his sister Annie(Robin Tunney), both experienced climbers, going their separate ways. Years later, Annie is helping billionare Elliot Vaughn (Bill Paxton) up K2 to wave to the inagural flight of his new airline company as it passes by (no, I'm not kidding. It sounded rather silly to me, too.). A team lead by Annie and climber Tom McClaren(Nicholas Lea) heads up the mountain, but the weather begins to become threatening.
As expected, Elliot doesn't heed the warnings of Tom or anyone else, and decides to continue up the mountain, where disaster strikes, trapping Annie, Tom and Elliot in the middle of an ice cavern. Peter gets together a rescue team to go up and save the stranded climbers. Of course, they must take nitroglycerin up to blow up the cave wall so they could get in, but as one might expect, things don't go quite as planned. Several characters join in the proceeding search party, but we hardly get to know anything about any one of them before they're dispatched.
This brings us to the screenplay, which is generally mediocre, but can sometimes be poor. I can see where someone would look at it and visually, be able to imagine a very cool looking film. But the dialogue and characters are weakly written to the point where one might first question the judgement of dropping $75 million on the film's budget. A favorite line - "it's not going to be just snow, it's going to be rock and ice." (stating the rather obvious.)
Speaking of questionable judgement, one must wonder if other actors either weren't available, or Chris O'Donnell was the only one who took an interest in the film's script, figuring the film might get his deservedly slow career back on track. Previously, I had greatly disliked the acting of Matthew McConaughey until he really showed he has serious talent in "U-571". Those expecting a change from O'Donnell into a dramatic actor aren't going to find it here.
But, I must give credit to director Martin Campbell for making all of this watchable, and occasionally moderately entertaining. Campbell helmed one of the best recent Bond pictures with 1995's "Goldeneye" and did wonderfully well with the thrilling action film "Mask Of Zorro" a few years back. Also, cinematographer David Tattersall("Star Wars: Episode 1" and the upcoming "Episode 2") at least makes the film look stunning (although the choice to film in 1.85:1 instead of 2.35:1 is a strange and unfortunate one). Sound design by supervising sound editor David McMoyler (whose previous efforts include "Mask of Zorro" and, appropriate for this film, "Cliffhanger") and team is also outstanding; the audio is wonderfully convincing of the dangerous mountain environment.
What doesn't always look stunning though, are the film's visual effects. Some of them look pretty respectable, while others are suprisingly unconvincing for a budget as big as this film's was (although none are nearly as bad as a fake bird as the film opens, which looks a little silly). One of the better sequences involves a climber securing himself just as he's about to go over the side of the mountain; successfully tense sequences like this are more of what "Limit" needed.
It's not a complete failure and much of it remained watchable, but "Vertical Limit" remains dissapointing in the fact that, with a better lead actor and screenplay, it had the potential to be something much more.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Vertical Limit" is presented in the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. A few minor flaws didn't take away from the fact that the rest of the picture looked so dazzling that I could hardly believe if the picture looked this "film-like" when it was on film playing in theaters nationwide. Sharpness and detail are nothing less than terrific, with the entire picture looking wonderfully well-defined and crystal clear, often looking jaw-droppingly beautiful. Detail was so good that I could see individual strands of hair on the actors clearly.
...And the image quality nearly is flawless. I noticed literally one or two instances of shimmer and a tiny print flaw or two, but that was about it. I noticed nothing in the way of pixelation and nothing in the way of edge enhancement. Combined with the excellent sharpness and detail, the picture looked marvelously clear and clean.
Colors looked stunning throughout the picture - although many scenes have the white snowy backgrounds, the bright clothes of the climbers really stood out wonderfully against the crisp backgrounds. Flesh tones looked natural and accurate, as well. Tristar has done some great, great work in the past, but the presentation they've given "Vertical Limit" is one of their best. I can easily say this is demo-quality - it's an inch away from perfection.
SOUND: "Vertical Limit" is presented here in Dolby Digital 5.1. Although a good deal of the early part of the film is dialogue-driven, as expected, the sound presentation becomes very exciting once the film really gets going. The sound experience becomes a very agressive one during the mountain sequences, as helicopters sound convincingly as if they're in the same room as you. Winds occasionally whip through the listening space as well, sounding natural and forceful enough to be chilling.
As I mentioned before, some of the effects aren't quite as convincing as they should be, which is why I was so pleased that the sound design of the movie was excellent and thrilling enough to make up where the visuals sometimes lacked. Surrounds are often incredibly active during the most intense sequences, from the subtle cracking in the ice caves to the tremendous explosion when a can of nitro gets loose and takes a good chunk of the moutain with it in more than one scene in the movie. The explosions (as well as some of the other action scenes) provide heavy, strong low bass.
Audio quality is excellent, as the effects sound warm and crisp, and James Newton Howard's score comes through clearly. Dialogue also sounds clear, even above all the rest of the chaos. A very, very good audio presentation that adds a good deal of excitement and thrills. Definitely some amazing specific sequences, audio-wise.
MENUS:: The main menu is wonderfully animated, with a high-tech mountain map background and the score in the background.
EXTRAS:
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Martin Campbell and producer Lloyd Phillips. It's a pretty interesting and informative commentary track as the two discuss the enormous challenges of attempting to mount such a major-budget feature with some occasionally rough conditions - the two are able to remember stories about the difficulties of shooting, which are quite engaging to listen to. The two also lead the viewer through the technical aspects of the feature, from the effects to how the film was able to attempt to re-create conditions on-set. Campbell has provided a commentary before for "Goldeneye" and does a fine job at getting directly to the point and being informative as well as engaging. Phillips doesn't offer quite as much, but still participates a good deal and brings a lot to the table. A solid commentary worth a listen.
Trailers: Trailers for "Vertical Limit"(1.85:1/Dolby Digital 5.1); "Cliffhanger"(full-frame/2.0), "Charlie's Angels"(1.85:1/Dolby Digital 5.1) and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"(full-frame/2.0).
Surviving The Limit: This is a great documentary that takes a look at the dangers that were faced during the making of the picture. Although the documentary is somewhat promotional in nature, there is a very good deal of information to be found as we are taken behind-the-scenes as the actors train for their roles - they only had 4 weeks to prepare. A chunk in the middle of the of the documentary does chat about the film's story a bit much, but I remained interested, as behind-the-scenes footage came in every few minutes. Also look for interview footage with professional top climber Ed Viesturs, who is also in the movie.
Search and Rescue Tales: This is a section that offers several short documentary features, which are actually presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and run from about 3-5 1/2 minutes
1. Vertigo Magic: This is a very interesting 5 1/2 minute documentary on the film's special effects sequences, showing the blue-screen and set work that was done to make the film's more intense sequences. Interviews with the cast (as well as participant and pro climber Ed Vesteurs) also discuss the obstacles that had to be overcome. Viewers are also treated to some scenes that are compared to the scene before the effects with the blue screen.
2. Trekking to K2: This is a short featurette that offers interview footage with professional climber Ed Viesturs, who narrates some amazing footage of a trek towards the mountain that goes over some very rough terrain and wilderness. The footage takes us all the way from the begining preparations to the camp itself.
3. Easy As Falling Off A Cliff: This featurette takes the viewer through the very difficult program of training both indoors and until they moved out into real outdoor locations to learn how to ice climb.
4. Avalanche!: Ed Viesturs discusses his experience of living through an avalanche himself, and the rest of the feature shows the rather crazy camera crew who actually made an avalanche and filmed it for the movie.
5. The Death Zone: A short featurette that talks about the effects of being in the "vertical limit" - a point about 23,000 feet up. All of the massive amount of problems that can face a climber at this point are discussed here.
6. Peak Performance: This featurette takes a look at why climbers do what they do and the mindset behind their efforts.
7. Elixir Of Life: This is a short featurette about the medicine that can help climbers from the very serious illnesses that can happen when they reach extremely high points.
8. Credits: This is a short set of clips behind the credits for the featurettes that are included.
Quest For K2: This is a National Geographic special about K2 that gives an overview of the history of climbers who have succeded in getting to the top of the mountain - and those who have not been able to. It gives a good look at the background of those who attempted to climb the mountain in the past and the mountain itself.
Also: Talent files, production notes.
Final Thoughts: "Vertical Limit" isn't quite the film it could or should have been, but Tristar has done a wonderful, top-notch job with the DVD edition, offering outstanding audio/video quality and some fantastic extras. Their work on the DVD is solid enough to make the film worth at least looking at as a rental.
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