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K2 | Year: 1992 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Franc Roddam Actors/Actresses: - Michael Biehn - Matt Craven DECENT ADVENTURE STORY FOR ARMCHAIR CLIMBERS... This is essentially a buddy movie clothed in mountaineering garb. It is a story about two climbers: one, a Seattle based attorney, the other, a physics instructor. They are a mismatched pair of friends who are brought together because of their love for climbing. The story line is about the ultimate test that their friendship endures while high on K2, the second highest mountain in the world but the most perilous to climb. The rock climbing scenes, which take place in the first fifteen minutes of the movie, are terrific to watch, even though they may not be technically correct. After all, it's a movie, not a documentary. The scenery is spectacular and the cinematography is excellent. These friends decide to grab an opportunity to climb K2 with an expedition that had lost two of its team members to an avalanche on Denali and needed to replace them. The attorney has no problem going to K2, but the physics instructor leaves behind his weeping wife and child. Yet, his friendship with the attorney and his own desire to climb K2 compel him to leave his distraught family for this chance of a lifetime. There are a number of scenes in the movie which seem to be taken from real life. While on expedition to K2, the porters leave them stranded, refusing to go any further on the mountain, as they have portents of doom. They also want more money. One scene has the attorney burning rupees in defiance of the porters' strike. World-class mountaineer Jim Wickwire did the same thing, when he climbed K2, and under similar circumstances. Animosity on the mountain between the climbing leader and the attorney over who will be part of the first summit team is also reminiscent of real life expeditions. It is here that the attorney's friendship with the physics instructor becomes strained, as he lays claim to be on the first summit team and does not include his friend, even though they had been climbing partners for ten years. So much for the brotherhood of the rope. What happens to the two friends on the mountain will be a true test of their friendship, especially when tragedy strikes while in the death zone of K2. Since this is a buddy movie, one of them comes up with a plan to try and save the other. I won't tell you what it is, but I will give you a hint. It is to be found in Joe Simpson's book "Touching the Void". Interestingly enough, the movie is dedicated to two mountaineers of renown: Seattle attorney, Jim Wickwire, and physicist, Lou Reichardt, both of whom were among the first Americans to summit K2 in 1978. This film seems to be loosely based upon some of their mountaineering exploits. It is a moderately enjoyable film that should appeal to armchair climbing enthusiasts everywhere. It contains a good deal of truth about people and climbers. This movie is about two friends who are dedicated (not to say compulsive) mountain climbers. It is based loosely on Lou Reichart and Jim Whitacker who were among the first four Americans to climb K2-probably the world's most difficult mountain. The story is woven around the contrast and conflict between the two friends, one apparently being primarily self-oriented and the other believing in the importance of interpersonal responsibility. The climbing is a useful vehicle because it makes plausible that a close relationship between two such dissimilar people could exist. The mentality and mechanics of big mountain climbing are well depicted as the film moves to a resolution of its central issue. The acting is competent and the depiction of the mountain climbing is excellent. This movie is better than the obscurity into which it has sunken. I suspect that it is because most people are simply unable to empathize with the motivation that would drive climbers to deliberately put themselves in a situation in which they have a 30,hance of dying. Raymond J. Barry is terrific in this flick The climbing sequences, especially the one where all of them are having a break while hanging underneath a clift are enough to make you feel vertigo, and one thing that really makes the film feel authentic is in the cold weather, you can see their breath, so you know it WAS cold when they filmed it. This movie is worth seeing also for another thing - Raymond J. Barry. What a stud! When climbing the mountain you see him in skin-tight jeans, and the size of his thighs and glutes are amazing for a 50 year old man. The cameraman must have recognized this because you see Mr. Barry's glutes and hamstrings in almost every scene. What a body! He shames men half his age. Still, it is a little unbelievable for his character to have the body of a bodybuilder, but who cares? Oh, Michael Biehn is pretty good too. But as good as the film is, I still have no desire to ever climb a mountain! Buy K2 at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on K2 Search with the Priority Search Engine on K2 This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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