Vertical Limit (opens Dec. 8): King Of The Hill

SYNOPSIS: Chris O'Donnell stars as a mountain climber who leads a risky rescue effort up K2, the world's second-highest peak, to save the life of his stranded sister.

TRAILER STYLE: Breathless and lightheaded, like experiencing altitude sickness. Spectacular scenery and eye-popping stunt work are cut together at breakneck speed and set to staccato action-flick music.

WHAT THE STUDIO WANTS YOU TO THINK OF: Jon Krakauer 's mesmerizing bestseller, Into Thin Air, without all those pesky words.

WHAT THE STUDIO DOESN'T WANT YOU TO THINK OF: Sylvester Stallone 's cartoonish Cliffhanger.

PREFAB CATCHPHRASE: "Avvv-uhhhh-LANCHE!!!!"

BOTTOM LINE: Hollywood melodrama jacked up on pure oxygen. Take away the frenetic pacing and you're left with standard-issue action fare, including stock characters (like an eccentric but sage mountain man) and the obligatory psychodrama ( O'Donnell 's father died in a climbing accident years before). Still, the cinematography and the alpine vistas, mostly shot in New Zealand , are arresting. In other words, it may be familiar, but you can't beat the view.