2000, 2 hrs 5 min., Rated PG-13 for intense life/death situations and brief strong language.�Dir: Martin Campbell. Cast: Chris O'Donnell (Peter Garrett), Robin Tunney (Annie Garrett), Bill Paxton (Elliot Vaughn), Scott Glenn (Montgomery Wick), Izabella Scorupco (Monique Aubertine), Nicholas Lea (Tom McLaren), Alexander Siddig (Kareem Nazir), Robert Taylor (Skip Taylor).

I went into Vertical Limit feeling a little drab due to clogged sinuses, so I just wanted exciting action, pretty scenery, passable dialogue and a somewhat believable plot to keep me interested. With that, I somewhat enjoyed the escapism of the flick.

Looking back a few days later, though, I almost wonder why. The dialogue was cliche, the scenery flat and the action muddled (and what was good you've already seen in the trailer). The plot was somewhat believable, but this is Hollywood so is it ever?

What gets tiring are the constant death-defying scenes, one after another that threatens our heroes. If it's not the mountain or the weather it's nitroglycerin, which apparently the Pakistan army acquired in large quantities but learned nothing about how to use and contain. No one ever bothered to tell them that exposing nitro to sunlight could be potentially harmful. As in, BOOM!? Seems like that would be on a big warning label with the words DON'T EXPOSE TO SUNLIGHT OR THERE WILL BE A BIG BANG THAT COULD BLOW EVERY LIMB OF YOUR BODY TO KINGDOM COME. Maybe I'm just to use to being led around on a leash.

Chris O'Donnell is a National Geographic photographer stationed near K2. Formerly a climber, O'Donnell lost his will to scale the majestic heights after an accident that occurs in the first scene of the film. Little sister Robin Tunney had no problems getting back on the rocks, becoming the greatest female climber in the world. This time is different, however, as Tunney's group gets in trouble on a climb of K2, leaving them stuck in a cave hidden in the mountain, and O'Donnell leads a rescue party to find those left alive.

O'Donnell enlists the help of Scott Glenn (as Montgomery Wick), the kooky sage of the mountain who seeks revenge for his wife's death in a disaster on K2 that occurred a few years before, on one of billionaire Bill Paxton's tries on reaching the summit. Paxton, said billionaire, shows some range in his character, although it's hard to tell exactly what he's going for.

Elsewhere in this gulleywasher of a film are Nicholas Lee, better recognized as Krycheck from TV's "The X-Files", this time goes the Limit as good guy Tom McLaren, the best K2 climber on the planet. Izabella Scorupco provides the supermodel French Canadien, Monique, who we're told is sometimes Canadian, most of time French (i.e. bitchy). And yes, she's a feisty one! Elsewhere is "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" veteran Alexander Siddig (who played Doctor Bashir on "DS9"), trying to hide the fact under a full beard and Pakistani accent as Kareem. Too bad he wasn't playing Bashir, or else he could have called up Sisko and had the hikers beamed off the mountain rather than rely on being saved by a ragtag bunch of climbers who have no clue as to how nitro should be handled and why the heck they have it in the first place.

You've seen pretty much all of the action and perilous stunts on the trailer, and are really only missing out on lots and lots of talking. Blah blah, get on with the action and scenery, folks! Don't just keep telling me that above 24,000 feet you're not dying, "you're already dead," explain it then show me why, let me in on how the characters are feeling. I was just not empathizing with the heroes, not being led to feel any sort of tension. Don't just put the characters in perilous situations, make me worried that they won't make it out of them.

Yet, despite all this, in the end Vertical Limit was still somewhat entertaining. Help, I'm conflicted. So, please, leave your mind and good sense behind.