K2 - L'ultima sfida

When I first saw this movie's title I thought it was going to be another "Cliff Hanger", but I was wrong.

This multi-national creation is stunningly high quality production. Each scenes are vivid, and points well delivered.

K2 is one of the most dangerous mountain to climb in the world, killing one out of every four who climb's there. This movie captures the audacity, and adventure of the team who dares to attempt it. Very little facts about climbing on K2 were known in 1992, so they did an excellent job getting all the details right.

International cast of actors includes Hiroshi Fujioka who's the original Kamen Rider, and Julia Nickson who was playing various exotic roles both in the US and Asia. Other actors were spot on choices for their roles as well.

I wish I had the physical ability to climb a mountain. My high blood pressure makes me high risk at high altitude, so climbing something above 10000 ft is out of the question. But I wish I can experience some of the extreme conditions like the characters in this movie has experienced. But movies like this gives me the opportunity to feel what it's like to be there.

While practising a rapid ascent of a local vertical face, lawyer Brooks and physicist friend Jameson meets a part of climbers who appear to be planning for something bigger. Tragedy brings them together with the leader of the group – legendary climber Phillip Claiborne. Brooks talks his way onto the team – a team that is heading to the top of K2, one of the deadliest ascents in the world.

Having read some of the reviews for this film before watching it, they seemed to be mostly from those who embraced it as a "real" climbing movie and those that dismissed it for being unrealistic. I'm not suggesting my point of view has more validity (it doesn't) but I tried to watch it as someone who struggles to climb a ladder up a stack far less a mountain, so probably wouldn't be bothered if it was or wasn't an accurate portrayal of doing it for real. Well, I say that but I must admit that even with my limited knowledge of the subject, I'm not sure if some of the heroics seen here could really be done. Despite this the film is technically very impressive with really well directed action and some great shots. It looks the business if only the material had been there to back it up.

Instead the material feels a lot less genuine and it jars with the convincing surroundings. Here everyone gets a speech and the story is always a bit too melodramatic and chickens out of the impacting stuff too often. The cast work the best they can with it but they don't convince as to their surroundings when they have to speak, not that some of the narrative devices or convenient twists help them either. Biehn plays it cocksure and arrogant but forgets to leave a crack of a real person in there; so he is loud but when his true self comes it is unconvincing and not connected to anything we have seen in him at all. Craven is good though because his softer character does sit with being the unappreciated friend. Bercovici, Charbonneau and Barry are part of a solid enough supporting cast who do what the material requires.

Not a great film then but one that is technically impressive and easy to watch. The simple characters and overly melodramatic script and unconvincing dialogue really limit it but it is still serviceable for what it is.

... K2: The Ultimate High. Well, while I'm sure climbing the actual mountain really is a great high, this movie does a mediocre job of portraying the thrill. It's not that the acting is bad, but the plot is pretty generic and predictable. Leaves you just a bit wanting in places. Too much "made for TV" juice in its veins.

The real strength of this DVD comes with its crisp video and pretty impressive camera work on the slopes. You almost feel cold and light-headed as you travel up the spine of K2 with the protagonists. No clues in the special features or jacket info about the actual filmed locations for the movie, but especially the shots from the climax at the apex connote well the feeling of reaching nearly to the top of the world (I don't think I've revealed any plot twists here). I doubt the scenes here are all from K2 itself, but some good aerial camerawork make it just as well.

Not much on the special features perks for this one. A chapter selection list and two bios, but that's about it.

Overall, not a bad buy if you like moutains and climbing and can find it for a decent price. Recommended viewing with hot brandy and licorice.

Adrenaline junkies best friends experience climbing dangerously together a bit into the film, meet some people and get offered to go up K2 which they've wanted to do for a very long time. Phenomenal movie with incredible cinematography, soundtrack and acting! Micheal Beighn and Matt Craven are awesome together along with the supporting cast. Underrated wild one that isn't talked about enough!

It stars two men , a womanizer advocate at law , Michael Biehn , and the other an upright scientist , Matt Craven , who is happily married to Julia Nickson Soul . They tackle the climbing the world's second largest mountain, the K2 in Kashmir , northern Pakistan . They join a brave group formed by the wealthy millionaire Raymond J Barry , Patricia Charbonneau , Luca Bercovici , Fujioka , among others . All of them set out to scale a famous and risked mountain . The trip to scale the second highest peak involves a long palaver among them , and much parley between persons of different cultures or level of sophistication . As the climbers argue with porters , challenges from old rivals and beyond the cliche dialogue .

Nice film with snowbound , spectacular scenes , thrills , emotion , rope and and piton daredevil drivel; and , of course , fight for life . Beautiful Canadian scenary fails to totally compensate for a great number of slow-moving scenes . Each person's true nature is revealed as they scale the peak , which many climbers have defied and failed in previous attempts .The main issue results to be the several dangers in which the cllmbers encounter along the way , including an ascent of sheer rock face , an avalanche and a fall down perpendicular mountain ice . Duo protagonist gives good acting delivering philosophical debating , such as Michael Biehn as the skirt-chasing lawyer and his old friend Matt Craven as the responsible physicist.The film is pretty well ; however, slightly overwrought ,with several dreary lapses , but exciting and stirring .This one belongs to Climbling Subgenre with important films as " The White Tower" with Glenn Ford , Claude Rains , " The Eiger sanction" with Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Jack Cassidy and recently "Himalaya" with Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright , Jake Gyllenhaal , Sam Worthington and Kiera Knightley.

It contains a sensitive as well as thrilling musical score by the prolific Hans Zimmer performed by synthesizer . Impressive photography by Gabriel Beristain who does wonders shooting the moutain outdoors , showing impressive landscapes and breathtaking mountains . Set in Pakistan , it was actually shot on location in Canada's Mount Waddington, British Columbia. The motion picture was well directed by Frank Roddan whose intention is made clear early on : climbing as metaphor , being based on a play .Roddan has directed a number of decent movies of all kinds of genres and adaptation based on novels , as Cinema as TV , such as : Cleopatra, Moby Dick , War Party, Aria , The bride, The lord of Discipline and his greatest success was Quadrophenia .