K2 (1991) - Movie Review

Director: Franc Roddam
Starring: Michael Biehn, Matt Craven, Raymond J. Barry, Hiroshi Fujioka, Patricia Charbonneau, Luca Bercovici
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Writer: Patrick Meyers, Scott Roberts
Runtime: 104 min
Rated: Rated R for language
Buy This Movie: DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Taylor Brooks (Michael Biehn) and his friend Harold Jameson (Matt Craven) are avid mountain climbers. A chance encounter with billionaire adventurer Phillip Claiborne (Raymond J. Barry) lands them two spots on his next expedition: an ascent of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. It is also one of the deadliest mountains in the world, and as Taylor and Harold begin their climb to the peak, the team starts to worry that the two might not be up to the challenge.

Review:

As far as mountain climbing movies go, 1991's "K2" has a particularly interesting background. Directed by Franc Roddam ("Moby Dick" and "Cleopatra" miniseries) it's based on a 1982 one-act stage play by Patrick Meyers, which features only two actors playing climbers stranded on a ledge at 27,000 feet, just below the summit of K2. The play is a psychological drama about friendship, the meaning and value of life, survival, and strength in the face of adversity. The movie, on the other hand, widens the story's scope and turns it into a cinematic adventure, while also incorporating the play's introspective and philosophical themes.

The two climbers are Taylor (Michael Biehn), a womanizing adrenaline junkie assistant district attorney, and Harold (Matt Craven), a physicist with a wife and young son. They couldn't be more different, but despite all that they are best friends, united by a common passion: climbing mountains. A chance encounter with billionaire Phillip Claiborne (Raymond J. Barry), who is putting together a K2 expedition, lands them a chance to ascend the infamous "Savage Mountain". The expedition will not only test their skill and abilities, but also their bond.

The film's first half is all about building character development, but it's also slow and clumsy. The script by Meyers and Scott Roberts ("The American Way", "Shadow of the Cobra") is fairly clunky, with stilted dialogue and muddled ideas, but Biehn and Craven give it their all and their performances make the story constantly watchable and always at its strongest when it focuses on the bond between these two men. The rest of the characters and story aren't as compelling, but sufficient for the movie's purposes.

Of course, no mountain climbing movie is complete without jaw-dropping scenery, and "K2" delivers in spades with gorgeous photography from cinematographer Gabriel Beristain ("Blade II", "Black Widow", "The Beekeeper"). It never goes over-the-top, so to speak, featuring realistic climbing sequences and some breathtaking stuntwork. It's so refreshing in this day and age to go back and watch a movie like this, unburdened by fake-looking CGI. It's not the most expensive or polished movie ever made, but there's a purity to its filmmaking style that just warmed my bitter, cynical heart.

Another highlight is the wonderful score composed by Hans Zimmer, which features rousing cues typical of his power anthem glory days, with stylish electric guitar solos by Pete Haycock, as well as emotional, heart-tugging melodies for the more dramatic scenes. The film was actually released with two scores. Zimmer wrote the music for the European release of "K2", while the US version was scored by Chaz Jankel. I've had the opportunity to watch the movie with Jankel's score, and it's unfortunately extremely underwhelming. In the end, Zimmer's soundtrack was the only one to get a commercial release, and it's absolutely superior to Jankel's music.

On the negative side, some sloppy editing undermines the tension in a couple of scenes, and a rushed ending robs the finale of a bigger emotional impact. The supporting cast is also a mixed bag. Roddam's adaptation ultimately doesn't do a particularly great job of integrating the play's cerebral themes and use of climbing as a metaphor into a broader adventure narrative, but it's still solidly entertaining because the core ideas are strong enough to shine through.

While far from perfect, "K2" is one of the better mountain climbing movies, and needs to be plucked from obscurity. It's also long overdue for a Blu-ray remaster. Seriously, it's getting unjustly passed over, and it's a crying shame, because it would look amazing in high definition.

SCORE: 7.5/10