Extreme Limits
Encyclopedia
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
about the recovery of Nikola Tesla's
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
death ray
Death ray
The death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented independently by Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell Matthews, and Graichen, as well as others...
. The film is directed by Jay Andrews and produced by T.J. Terrier. Shot on an extremely low budget, incorporating a large amount of footage from other films, and being released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
, Extreme Limits falls into the category of modern B Movie
B movies (1980s to the present)
Cinematic exhibition of the B movie, defined as a relatively low-cost genre film, has declined substantially from the early 1980s to the present. Spurred by the historic success of several big-budget movies with B-style themes beginning in the mid-1970s, the major Hollywood studios moved...
.
After Tesla's Ray is discovered in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
by Dr. Maurice Hunter (John Beck
John Beck (actor)
John Beck is an American actor. He grew up in Joliet, Illinois. Renowned as a gritty actor with plenty of presence on set, he is ultimately best-known worldwide for playing the role of Mark Graison in Dallas during the mid-1980s, but is also well-known for several other roles in which he...
), thug for hire Julian Beck (Hannes Jaenicke
Hannes Jaenicke
Hannes Jaenicke is a German actor. He has played in various television shows and movies, including Lost Treasure.-Selected filmography:* Rosa Luxemburg * Allein unter Töchtern...
) attempts to steal it as it's being flown back to the USA. After the plane crash lands in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, CIA Agent Jason Ross (Treat Williams
Treat Williams
Richard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
) is tasked with the recovery of the device before it falls into enemy hands. While the movie is predominantly an action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
, it does incorporate some elements of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
due to the circumstances surrounding the death ray.
Extreme Limits, although completed in 2000, was not released on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
until August 14, 2001.
Footage from three other films (Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
, Narrow Margin
Narrow Margin
Narrow Margin is a 1990 film directed by Peter Hyams and released by TriStar Pictures, loosely based on the 1952 film noir, The Narrow Margin.-Plot:...
, and The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Kiss Goodnight is a 1996 action thriller film starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson, written by Shane Black and directed by Renny Harlin.-Plot:...
) is used throughout Extreme Limits.
Plot
In the heart of Siberia, Dr. Maurice Hunter, a famous amateur archeologist and thrill seeker, his daughter Nadia, and their group of guides are taking part in an expedition to locate a fabled death ray created and then buried by inventor Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
. The death ray, it is speculated by the Hunters, was the cause of the mysterious Tunguska event
Tunguska event
The Tunguska event, or Tunguska blast or Tunguska explosion, was an enormously powerful explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 7:14 a.m...
, a massive explosion that occurred in Siberia in 1908. The team eventually finds the death ray hidden in a mountain cave. After its discovery, the guides accompanying the expedition quickly reveal their true nature: being paid to kill the Hunters and steal the death ray. Before they can murder the pair, however, Dr. Hunter activates the death ray, and vaporizes the group of hired goons.
The Hunters bring Tesla's Ray to an eastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n city, and before boarding a charter plane back to the USA, are joined by their associates George (Dr. Hunter's American partner) and Peter (a Russian born assistant). As the group boards the plane, four suspicious looking men bribe the guards at the security gate, and are allowed on the flight.
While in flight, Peter notices that there is another plane flying precariously close to theirs. Soon, the four suspicious men hijack the plane
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
at gunpoint, and their leader identifies himself as Julian Beck. As Beck enters the cockpit, it becomes obvious that the plane's pilot, Captain Edward Lorenzo, is being paid by and reluctantly working with the terrorists. Both planes then fly into formation and are linked up via tether. Beck demands the death ray from Dr. Hunter, and informs the passengers that they are going to be leaving a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
behind in its place. This news riles up the passengers and a fight breaks out before the death ray can be transferred or the bomb received. In the ensuing struggle, gunfire is exchanged and, as a result, the plane loses control; this loss in altitude violently severs the tether, causing the bomb to be dropped, blowing up the other plane. After a brief struggle to stay airborne, Capt. Lorenzo crash lands the jet in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
, breaking the tail away from the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
, and sucking all of the terrorists out except for Beck.
Meanwhile, the CIA is tracking the flight of the plane, and assigns Agents Jason Ross and Alan Douglas to intercept the Hunters and the death ray when they land. After confirming that the plane has in fact crashed, Ross and Douglas are rerouted to the Canadian Rockies to aid in the recovery effort, and to assure that the ray does not fall into enemy hands.
At the crash site, Dr. Hunter take on the role of de facto leader and sends his daughter Nadia down the mountain with the death ray to contact the authorities while the rest of the survivors stay behind. Moments after she heads out, Beck regains consciousness, and begins pursuit after her. Before nightfall, Nadia reaches an empty ski cabin, breaks in, and contacts CIA
Director Rance. Beck, having lost Nadia's trail, hikes into town and calls for backup. With the death ray's location known, agents Ross and Douglas arrive at the cabin to accompany Nadia and the device back to safety. As the group is about to leave, Beck appears in another Helicopter, killing Douglas. Ross and Nadia make their way out the back with the death ray, and escape in an old pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
. Pursued through the forest, Ross and Nadia quickly loose Beck, and board a passenger train heading to Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
.
Facing freezing cold, and with no signs of rescue, the crash survivors start to grow restless. The appearance of a bear outside the wreckage prompts George and Capt. Lorenzo to lead a group out in to the wilderness, hoping to find help; Dr. Hunter, Peter, and a few other stay behind. That evening, while looking for firewood, Peter is mauled and killed by the bear; witnessing this, Dr. Hunter and fellow passenger Stuart Elliot go out on a mission to kill the bear. Finding the bear the next night, Stuart is killed stabbing the bear with a syringe of battery acid and holding it in place while Dr. Hunter shoots it in the head. Meanwhile, the group led by George and Capt. Lorenzo overnights in a cave. The next morning, after the group resumes their hike down the mountain, George dies suddenly of a heart attack. After the group spots a rescue helicopter in the distance searching for the crashed plane, one of the members fires a gun at it, starting a massive avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
. Capt. Lorenzo and the majority of the party are killed, leaving only two survivors.
Still on the train, Ross and Nadia meet up with CIA agent Herb Carver. When they reach their destination, Carver reveals that he is a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
, and Beck boards the train with his help. As Beck departs with the death ray, Ross kills Carver, and the pair follows Beck to his rendezvous point. Here, the death ray is loaded onto a semi truck heading for the US border. Ross quickly subdues the driver and commandeers the truck. At the same time, Nadia hotwires
Hotwiring
Hot-wiring is the process of bypassing an automobile's ignition interlock and thus starting it without the key. A vehicle owner or thief may implement this process.-Methods:...
a nearby car, and follows behind. Soon Beck realizes that Ross is driving the truck, shoots out the tires, and causes the truck to flip over on the Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge may refer to:Bridges :* Rainbow Bridge National Monument, a natural rock formation located in Utah, USA* Rainbow Bridge , in Kansas* Rainbow Bridge , on the United States – Canada border...
. Ross staggers out of the truck and Beck seems to have won when Nadia, in her car, flies in and saves Ross's life. Ross jumps in and as they are driving away, Ross reveals that he has set the self-destruct
Self-destruct
A self-destruct is a mechanism which causes a device to destroy itself under a predefined set of circumstances.Self-destruct mechanisms are also found on devices and systems where malfunction could endanger large numbers of people...
on the death ray, prompting Nadia to drive full speed. The death ray then explodes, blowing up the bridge and Beck.
Back in the Rockies, a helicopter discovers the crash site, and the remaining passengers of the crashed plane are rescued. Later, when Dr. Hunter inquires as to what happened to the death ray, Ross smiles, answering simply, "It's history."
Inconsistencies
There are a large number of inconsistencies throughout the film, likely due to the heavy use of footage from other sources. For example, when the plane crashes in the mountains, it is shown coming to rest with the front half of the fuselage hanging off a rocky cliff; moments later the plane is shown completely on solid ground in what looks like a forest. In another scene, where agent Ross and Nadia are chased by a helicopter in a pickup truck, the model of truck changes repeatedly throughout. Even the DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
packaging contains numerous inconsistencies in the description, stating:
This synopsis is incorrect in that the flight is carrying a death ray (not explosives), the plane crashes in Canada (not Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
), Agent Ross works for the CIA (not the U.S. Military), and that Agent Ross' main concern is recovering the death ray (not rescuing the passengers).
Cast
The top-billed actors are:- Treat WilliamsTreat WilliamsRichard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
as Agent Jason Ross: CIA Agent tasked with protecting the Death Ray. He is the CIA's top agent, and is a specialist in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. - John BeckJohn Beck (actor)John Beck is an American actor. He grew up in Joliet, Illinois. Renowned as a gritty actor with plenty of presence on set, he is ultimately best-known worldwide for playing the role of Mark Graison in Dallas during the mid-1980s, but is also well-known for several other roles in which he...
as Dr. Maurice Hunter: Amateur archeologist and thrill seeker. Before discovering the death ray, Dr. Hunter traveled the world, searching for other lost artifacts. - Julie St. ClaireJulie St. ClaireJulie St. Claire , is an American actress, director and producer.-Early life:St. Claire moved from New York to California with her family in 1979. She competed in the U.S...
as Nadia Hunter: Dr. Hunter's daughter, she accompanies him on his expedition to discover the death ray. Often expressing bitterness towards his lifestyle, she is more than willing to risk her life to protect him, Agent Ross, and the death ray. - Hannes JaenickeHannes JaenickeHannes Jaenicke is a German actor. He has played in various television shows and movies, including Lost Treasure.-Selected filmography:* Rosa Luxemburg * Allein unter Töchtern...
as Julian Beck: Criminal hired to intercept the death ray. Beck is a world class thug-for-hire, taking on the highest bids from world governments to recover and steal sensitive items.
The second-billed actors are:
- Gary HudsonGary HudsonGary Hudson has been involved in private spaceflight development for over 25 years.Hudson is best known as the founder of Rotary Rocket Company, which in spending ~$30 Million attempted to build a unique single stage to orbit launch vehicle known as the Roton...
as Capt. Edward Lorenzo: Compromised pilot working with Julian Beck. Capt. Lorenzo works frequently with terrorist organizations, receiving large sums of money in his off-shore bank account for his services. Despite this, he shows signs of remorse, disliking those that pay him and attempting to lead his passengers to safety after the plane crash. - Susan BlakelySusan BlakelySusan Blakely is an American film actress who has mainly played supporting roles.-Early life:Blakely was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1948. She is the daughter of Weezie, a former art teacher, and Colonel Lawrence Blakely, a career Army officer. Her first career break came while she was living...
as Barbara Esmond: Retired authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, she survives the crash and develops a deep relationship with Dr. Hunter. Having written several books that Dr. Hunter has read, the two become close friends and discuss their pasts as they await rescue. - Steve Franken as Stuart Elliott: Crash survivor who describes himself as simply an "innocent bystander". Stuart sees clumsy and inept soon after the plane crashes, but quickly proves his worth by giving his life protecting the other passengers from a wild bear.
- Ava FabianAva FabianAva Fabian is an American model and actress. She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in August 1986 and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos. Her centerfold was photographed by Arny Freytag and Richard Fegley.Fabian played Roxy Carmichael in the movie Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael,...
as Jessica Martin: Host of a TV nature show and crash survivor, she has little actual outdoor experience. - Lorissa McComasLorissa McComasLorissa McComas was an American lingerie, nude and softcore model.McComas graduated from Princeton High School in 1988...
as Wendy Yates: Crash survivor and daughter of Bob Yates, her main goal after the plane crashes is keeping her father alive. - J. Patrick McCormack as Bob Yates: Crash survivor and father of Wendy Yates. He is diabetic and, after all of his insulin is lost in the crash, poses a serious problem to the rest of the passenger.
- Bridget Butler as Claudine de Laar: Crash survivor, model and drug addict, she has an ongoing and difficult relationship with fellow passenger and agent Don Spengler.
- Sean KananSean Kanan-Early life:He was born Sean Perelman in Cleveland, Ohio and was raised in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He attended Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, Boston University and UCLA where he earned a degree in political science....
as Don Spengler: Crash Survivor, Claudine's boyfriend and agentTalent agentA talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
. - John PutchJohn PutchJohn Putch is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his recurring role as Bob Morton on the 1980s sitcom One Day at a Time and as Sean Brody in the film Jaws 3-D.-Career:...
as George: As Dr. Hunter's American assistant, he works logistics behind the scenes of his adventures. He also works out deals for TV and book deals once Dr. Hunter has found what he's looking for. - Allan Kolman as Peter: As Dr. Hunter's Russian assistant, he works logistics behind the scenes of his adventures. He is also responsible for doing background checks on any people Dr. Hunter will interact with over the course of his travels.
- Richard RiehleRichard Riehle-Life and career:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle , an assistant postmaster. He attended the University of Notre Dame....
as Alan Douglas: CIA Agent and conspiracy theorist. Partners with Agent Ross, he is constantly discussing his time in the CIA during the Kennedy assassination and cold war. He is later killed by Beck. - William Monroe as Herb Carver: CIA Agent working with Julian Beck. He meets Ross and Nadia on the train, and later allows Beck to steal the death ray.
- George Buck FlowerGeorge Buck FlowerGeorge Buck Flower was an American actor, writer, producer, assistant director, production manager, and casting director. He was sometimes credited as Buck Flower, George "Buck" Flower, George Flower, Buck Flowers, C. D. LaFleur, C.D. LaFleure, C.D. Lafleuer, and C.D...
as Edward Simmons: Train conductor
Also credited are:
- Kyle Heffner as Jessica Martin's Manager
- Nikki Fritz as Linda: Air Traffic Supervisor tracking the death ray.
- Eric BaumEric BaumEric B. Baum is an American computer scientist, artificial intelligence researcher and author. He is known for his materialist and evolutionist theories of intelligence and consciousness, set forth in his 2004 book What is Thought? ....
as Winston: Air Traffic Controller tracking the death ray. - Jack ShearerJack ShearerThe Very Reverend John Shearer, OBE, MA was Dean of Belfast in the last third of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st. He was born on 30 December 1926 and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was ordained in 1951 and began his career with curacies at Magheralin and Ballymacarrett...
as Rance: CIA Director - Robert Covarrubias as Vargas: Guide who helps Dr. Hunter find the death ray, and then turns on him.
- Bongo the Bear as Himself
Reception
The film was generally panned by critics, who complained of "terrible dialogue", "major plot holes", and the pilfering of existing footage from other films such as Cliffhanger.While Treat Williams' performance was received fairly well with one critic saying he "did his best with the material", the acting from other cast members was seen as "laughable". These apparent shortcomings lead to the film being widely regarded as a "cheap action flick".