In reply to kit perry: I saw it last night, and thought it was pretty good.
The script could have done with a bit of help, the rest I thought was good though.
Nice to see climbing calls used, safe, off belay, etc. Perhaps dropped by most feature film makers inorder to maintain pace and plot.
I disagree with your statement about they all should have died if the second and third weren't anchored. When climbing as two especially in an alpine situation and I am the second, I have often removed the belay to save time once the leader has rendered themself safe and I am on a healthy sized ledge. However, that doesn't mean I'll be swinging around a camera taking pictures of Eagles, no sorry Harris Hawks at the time. In the movie the leader was taking in the rope after the second had taken him off belay and removed the anchor. He (the leader) then put the second back on belay when the rope became tight. The rope became tight because the second was stood on some slack. As slack kept becoming available due to the second shifting his weight, the leader kept taking it in through the belay plate. It was at this point with some slack still in the system that the second fell from his stance dragging down the third (girl) who was tied slightly behind him. In my eyes the second made two mistakes, removing the anchor that the second and third were tied to, and using this time to flirt with the girl and have a photo shoot, therefore distracting himself enough to lose his balance and fall. This then makes the later ticking off by the more experienced girl, justified. However, due to the distracting style of the movie (suspense enhancing music, constantly changing camera viewpoints and fast pace) I found it difficult to analyse at the time. It is only now that I am able to gather my thoughts about the climbing scenes.
As for the abseil, I can think of plenty of occasions when I haven't put knots in the end of the rope. I don't think this is a must do, circumstances prevail. Having said that I probably would have used knots in the movie scene. Didn't that make for a palm wetting moment though, when you saw the ends of the rope just in front of her belay plate and then pass through!? I don't have a problem with her holding the ends, the closeup did not allow the viewer to see if she had her feet on anything at the time, so it was not like she was holding the entire weight of her body with a single bent arm.
You are right about it not being as bad as Vertical Limit, I felt that the film makers had definitely listened to the climbing personnel they employed. I stayed to watch the credits, you've probably already guessed that from the rest of this. The only name I recognised was local guide Alan Kimber. Nice to see an ascent of Aonach Eagach in winter next to the credits and some footage of the Alps and the Eiger.
It makes several references to earlier films. Most notably Deliverance (Gorge) and the Wicker Man (street parade). I loved the wealth of locations used, they really went for it.
