Yes, the opening scenes remind you of Cliffhanger. However, as you move ahead, APEX transforms into something entirely different. For one, it is Charlize Theron and not Stallone - while I realize this is a poor attempt at being humorous, you get the feeling that just like Stallone, Charlize Theron trained really hard for the role. You can easily spot the mean muscle mass that must have been earned over a few months. One look at her and you know that she did the groundwork and perhaps, much more than that, to look part of the role. The script just demands it! APEX is not the usual adventure story themed around urban folks who take up something in the mountains they cannot handle. The entire layout for APEX is highly focused on survival. The landscapes keep changing, but the intensity of Theron and the taut storytelling is unforgiving. Just like the opening sequence in Cliffhanger that renders Stallone guilty, Sasha [Charlize Theron] is overwhelmed by the sadness of letting go of her partner off a massive, steep, and snowy peak. She just looks like a mountaineer with all the gear attached to her. Just like Stallone, Sasha does not speak much. She clearly did not like human company much before the ill-fated climb, and with her grief, she becomes even more solo, taking off to trails that are not meant even for the seasoned adventurers.
