Vertical Limit

(12, 124 minutes)

Chris O'Donnell's latest project, a relentless romp set on the treacherous slopes of K2, runs short of breath before it has even glimpsed the mountain.

Peter Garrett (Chris O'Donnell) and his sister Annie (Robin Tunney) are traumatised by an accident which kills their father Boyce (Stuart Wilson) and two other members of their climbing party.

Peter vows to never climb again and isolates himself as a nature photographer, while Annie copes with her grief chasing her pa's dream to climb the world's highest peaks.

Several months later, brother and sister are reunited on the slopes of K2, the world's second highest and most challenging mountain.

Annie accompanies respected guide Tom McLaren (Nicholas Lea) and entrepreneur Elliot Vaughn (Bill Paxton) to the summit as part of an elaborate publicity stunt to promote Vaughn's new airline.

During the ascent, a storm breaks, trapping the three climbers in an icy grave at 26,000ft, and Peter grabs his crampons to lead the rescue mission.

Weighed down by a leaden screenplay and poor performances, Vertical Limit loses its footing and lands with a bone-crunching thud.

Every time the film founders, director Martin Campbell launches into another blistering action set-piece. He orchestrates edge-of-seat thrills by injuring or killing off cast members in avalanches or death-defying falls.

Unfortunately, the screenplay offers no fingerholds - characters are cardboard cut-outs, the plot detours wildly from logic.

Overall, O'Donnell's lack of charisma and energy or spark with Tunney utterly fails to hold the film together. Only Paxton shines, accepting the role of villain with gusto.

Vertical Limit is a film about fear. Needless to say, this will only exacerbate the condition.