K2

Rating:
Summary: Not Letterbox
Review: Bought it in DVD because I wanted to see it in Letterbox. It ain't. Not worth sending back. Bummer!! Could of sworn I saw Letterbox format somewhere!

Rating:
Summary: Very good Movie, so-so DVD
Review: First, I won't spend too much time reviewing this film, there are enough reviews on here, or elsewhere, that tell the story. This is a good movie, and while not great, arguably the best, or most accurate dramatic film on mountaineering (Touching the Void being a documentary). It's a good story, well acted, and there is some spectacular cinematography along with a great score.

As to the DVD, while I am very glad it exists in the first place, I was a bit disappointed. The sound is good, though only stereo. The picture quality is good, but it's in 4:3 pan and scan, (not the original letterboxed widescreen it was shot in). And there are no real extras. That's too bad as there could have been a lot here. Perhaps missed most of all is an isloation of Chaz Janke's excellent score, which was never made available on CD, and remains locked in a vault somewhere.

All in all, a very good movie, but an average DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A TRUE mounaineering film climbed by BEST friends
Review: I am sorry that some critics have panned this movie. I defy them to find a more realistic mixture of mountaineering, struggle, adversity and a heart-opening friendship. Go climb a mountain, sometime. The quote the scientist uses to express to his wife why and how he feels compelled to climb is first rate. The lawyer's character goes from selfishness and impulsiveness to an actual life altering experience by making a decision most friends would dread. The billionaire and his team, the big wall rock climbing scenes and avalanche are visually second to none. Only in the movie, "Alive," did I feel that I was actually there. The scenery, lack of special effects, had me use this movie as a reference standard to any other outdoor film. The Chris o'Donnell movie didn't look cold, or have believable bitter conditions. Bottom line; I felt I was there in this film. The story line flowed to the point of, "I've been there and had those conversations." I couldn't believe how long it took to get to DVD format. I even emailed Paramount requesting them to do so.
Finally, the porter situations made them human, not just extras. The death scene of Takate and Dallas where highly emotioal and charged. I have had the opportunity to show this movie to others and everyone of them said,"wow." By the way, try to find a musical score even remotely applicable to a story line as this intense music and film creates. Breathtaking scenery, Pakastani buses, culture and the drive to succeed to the top. Remember, it took the US to have two climbers summet this dangerous mountain - and it happened only 26 years ago. One out of three have died trying. See this DVD, it's definately in my top 5.

Rating:
Summary: A TRUE mounaineering film climbed by BEST friends
Review: I am sorry that some critics have panned this movie. I defy them to find a more realistic mixture of mountaineering, struggle, adversity and a heart-opening friendship. Go climb a mountain, sometime. The quote the scientist uses to express to his wife why and how he feels compelled to climb is first rate. The lawyer's character goes from selfishness and impulsiveness to an actual life altering experience by making a decision most friends would dread. The billionaire and his team, the big wall rock climbing scenes and avalanche are visually second to none. Only in the movie, "Alive," did I feel that I was actually there. The scenery, lack of special effects, had me use this movie as a reference standard to any other outdoor film. The Chris o'Donnell movie didn't look cold, or have believable bitter conditions. Bottom line; I felt I was there in this film. The story line flowed to the point of, "I've been there and had those conversations." I couldn't believe how long it took to get to DVD format. I even emailed Paramount requesting them to do so.
Finally, the porter situations made them human, not just extras. The death scene of Takate and Dallas where highly emotioal and charged. I have had the opportunity to show this movie to others and everyone of them said,"wow." By the way, try to find a musical score even remotely applicable to a story line as this intense music and film creates. Breathtaking scenery, Pakastani buses, culture and the drive to succeed to the top. Remember, it took the US to have two climbers summet this dangerous mountain - and it happened only 26 years ago. One out of three have died trying. See this DVD, it's definately in my top 5.

Rating:
Summary: A good climbing movie but a poor DVD release
Review: I have this movie in VHS format. I was waiting for a DVD release in WIDESCREEN. The movie was shot on location in British Columbia and Pakistan. Mountain scenery is beautiful and climbing sequences breathtaking. Music is great. While not without flaws of its own, the movie captures the excitement, beauty, and tragedy of mountain climbing. It is much wiser than recent releases such as "Vertical Limit". When the movie is formated to fit the screen 30% of the picture gets [cut]. I am waiting for a widescreen release.

Rating:
Summary: More realistic movie than Cliffhanger and Vertical limit
Review: K2 is more realistic and definitely better than the more successful blockbuster climbing movies such as 'Cliffhanger' and 'Vertical Limit'. This movie is shot on original location and has very few special effects unlike the other two. The story is also more believable. Unfortunately this movie was not marketed well enough because it is definitely one of the best climbing movies of all time.

Rating:
Summary: A superb story
Review: One would expect this movie to be a docudrama or some cheesy IMAX film about climbers with nothing more than your average 'wife left behind' problems. This film is actually based upon a stage play (and some real people), and as a result has some well written character development and of course spectacular climbing scenes. Many of the risks of climbing are dealt with in this film, along with the personal rewards and above all, the competitive nature of the climbers. (How would you feel if you are almost to the top of K2 and the team leader tells you that you can't go to the top at all?)

Rating:
Summary: Raymond J. Barry is terrific in this flick
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: The quality is really bad
Review: The story is ok but the quality of the DVD is really bad. Don't waste money for the DVD version

Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM, POOR DVD
Review: This is a different version to the European one i own on video, it has 6 mins of extra scenes and a very different music score which is not as good as the more orchestral soundtrack on the UK Edition(so im keeping my video copy), still a great film but no real extras and no widescreen transfer, the DVD has not been released in the UK yet so hurry up with an extras loaded widescreen release with all the scenes added. (there are scenes missing from the US release that the UK one has!). PLEASE do this film the justice it deserves next time.