John (Costas Mandylar) is one of the earth's top mountain climbers. He and a team which includes Kelli (Nia Peeples) love to scale whatever is hardest in the world. Yet, even he is not prepared for the US government to come calling for his help. It seems a Siberian "power cube" has been stolen and its destructive potential is enormous. Entire cities can be leveled by a push of a button. Fortunately, a plane that was carrying the cube out of the Russian wilderness was shot down in the sky. Now, guess what? The glowing golden cube is on top of K2 and its winter in the Himalayas. You guessed it, the USA leaders want John and his team to scale K2 under dangerous conditions and retrieve it before more damage can be done. Already, Havana is dust and rubble. Despite the tremendous danger, the team decides they will risk it for humankind. Will they be successful? Many viewers will probably agree with other critics, that this is a cheesy, low-budget, far-fetched thriller. OK, they are somewhat right. But, I still watched the enthralling climb to get this nasty little cube. Mandylar, Peeples and the others do quite well in somewhat stilted roles. This viewer especially liked Michael Ryan who played a cool, intelligent major. Naturally, the scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous while I found the story and production values more than adequate. Are you an armchair wannabe mountain climber who wouldn't risk the sport in the flesh? Sub Zero has some big vicarious thrills for YOU!

It's wrong on so many levels.Cheap filmwork and ripped noff scenes from other movies, you can spot the plots from miles away.Technically pathetic from a climbing point of view, amateur climbers have better kit and dress sense than these 'pros'. As a large bloke that does some ice climbing I can tell you there are very few big chaps climbing at this level, most are racing snakes.The baddies in supposed winter assault gear have white suits black utility belts and black leather gloves - frostbite and visibly duh.EMP just makes things stop working it doesn't make things spark, and sparks don't come in different colours!Love the bit where the inept gunman is restrained and after a cheesy one liner the lead walks out into the road carrying an automatic weapon but the Police cruiser just lets him go by!The Major with dark aviator sunglasses made me think of the 80s or an Airplane spoof movie.The device was on 'full auto-retaliate' pmsl. Let me see, when the plane was shot down the cube armed with 72 hours on the clock....then someone told the military, they hunted down the lead, lets say a couple of hours passed, then he phones a guy climbing in the rockies and tells him to get the plane to Washington DC in the morning. Lets say thats at least 20 hour including flight time.....they have a briefing and then fly to Pakistan, get in a chopper and only 22 hours has passed.....I will return to this later.The lead also manages a lot of beard growth during the flight yet no one else does.Notice the chopper changes from Pakistan army brown to white when they get offWe climbed Everest in 16.5 hours and without oxygen - c'mon that's treating us like muppets ( I do like the real muppets fyi)Random selection of ice axes, and yep, he slides on his back ignoring all basic winter climbing techniques. You go on your front and push down on the point laying your body across the shaft. If his crampons had caught he would have somersaulted not forgetting his already dislocated arm.Oh 4 more hours gone, standing in a white out without face covering and jackets unzipped at the neck.....sorry why was he crawling up a marginal incline with an ice axe on his belly? Mysteriously appearing harnesses, yep the rope is blue but switches to red and back and forth. It has already been pointed out that the crampons disappeared and the doctor diagnoses internal damage through his gear. Loads of people without hats, and YES you do leave them to die if you have to. Love the way they all disperse in different directions even though the path isn't checked and someone just fell down a hidden crevasse.2 hours into night time allegedly, shot of some tents, two Russians standing up in a massive tent, also soundproofed. By my calcs they have another 8 hours of darkness leaving them 3 hours. More standy up size tents. Conversation outside, no wind, unzipped jackets, and vertical snowflake or two.Not bad someone launched a missile and it took about 20 seconds to get into space.Morning, the injured climber who has been drifting in and out of consciousness wakes up fresh as a daisy and moves around without a wince. Total lack of any protection on the lips, and no noticeable increase in stubble.They set off without crampons at a casual stroll and no ice axes! Climbimg shots with goggles off, helmets appear and disappear along with changing kit.The Major gets on a cellphone to talk to the president but seems to use a sat-phone at other times.OMG a baddie appears in black with no gear save an ice axe - his trousers do change colour, and he ain't wearing climbing boots.his jacket also changes from black to dark navy budget nylon special.Why are the two climbers in the tent sitting down wearing their rucksacks when one of them is expecting to be airlifted to hospital?Some wearing harnesses some not, and casually strolling up the spur, and not roped together. Don't see any loops on the axes either. Lead woman's goggles have shrunk, and they aren't wearing crampons again.Lol quick search for magic cube which is perched on a rock and hadn't been blown off over the last 2+ days. It happens to be across a gap, and as if by magic a bloody great launcher and a whole load of tackle appears to make a 'bridge'. The other end is anchored into snow with invisible screws I assume. If you look behind them the line extends beyond view in both directions.The Major in the next scene looks like he is wearing a janitors coat with some ribbons stuck on it.Accident, somehow the lead lady who cant climb up a rope wearing gear manages to unhook herself and climb over the point man who then gives up clinging on after 3 mins and falls to his death. Why didn't he grab the rope....because it disappears from under his nose literally.Tried to spot the barrel of the gun but failed, and the base jumping scene with a hidden parachute is priceless.This film should be watched by all prospective film students as a 'how not to' make a film. Not sure how many mistakes in this review but I have spent too much of my life which I will never get back watching it already. Hopefully some of my comments will help you enjoy the film.Things I did like, some Lowe Alpine and Mountain Hardwear kit which is good gear are the stars.

Sure, look at the cast, look at who directed, know it's a straight to DVD release and figure the couple of bucks to rent it is a gallon of gas not in your tank. But go with the gas in your tank than the gas coming off the screen. This is just a variation on the 'Cliffhanger' story of an expert climber who loses a female climber to an accident, gives up climbing, then is coaxed back up by circumstance. In this case it is over some gimmicky Rubik's cube device that's sitting atop K2 in the Himalayas (as played by a Canadian mountain stand-in and played well). Mandylor and Peeples and a few others are hired by the President to get their butts up that mountain and retrieve that cube before the clock ticks down and it fires up satellites around the Earth to destroy the world (which is absurd since no satellites have the ability to fire laser beams that would destroy entire cities). Nia Peeples still looks good and does well as a feisty fellow climber. Nobody else makes an impression (unless you enjoy the humorously thick Natasha accent of one of the Russian climbers). There is some decent avalanche footage and other location shooting that gives the film some authenticity (none of that horrible process screen or computerized imagery). And the big finish had some good elements but it was all but killed by the stumbling direction and suspenseless score. Too bad. But I looked at the cast, and I looked at the director, knew it was a straight to DVD release, and I spent my money... so what was I thinking?

"Sub Zero" is very entertaining. It's a silly spin on "Cliffhanger". The plot is about six climbers who have to deactivate a bomb on a mountain. The bomb looks like a Rubik's cube. If it goes off it will destroy the world.You don't watch a Jim Wynorski movie (the alias this time is Jay Andrews) and expect a masterpiece.The acting is above-average for this type of film, the performances that stand out are Linden Ashby and Nia Peeples. The cast looks like they are having fun with the script. The special effects aren't the greatest, but who cares.In the end: If you want to laugh and be on the edge of your seat, you can't go wrong with "Sub Zero".For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com