I went into this movie anticipating something good after that really exciting beginning set in Monument Valley, Utah; unfortunately, my expectations weren't met. The plot centers on a well-known female climber who finds herself trapped inside an ice cave alongside two other people, high up on K2, the second tallest mountain in the world. Her brother, having abandoned climbing due to his father’s death while mountaineering, feels obligated to put together a rescue team. There are some positives: that initial scene is fantastic, the scenery is impressive (they filmed in the New Zealand Alps), and the narrative generally holds your attention—at least until things become truly outlandish – you see what I did there? Robin Tunney and Izabella Scorupco also look wonderful. However, as events unfold, the film’s sense of realism diminishes considerably. The crisis, suspense, and action moments are so intense and crammed together, particularly later on, that they provoke laughter—the complete opposite of the filmmakers' intention. By the conclusion, this excessive and ridiculous nature caused me to lose interest in what was supposed to be happening. I’d hoped for something surprisingly good like "The Edge," but instead I got a diverting but ultimately superficial film that doesn’t amount to much. To put it another way, “Cliffhanger” is to “Vertical Limit” as “Apocalypse Now” is to some other movie. Grade: C

Source on TMDB