Cliffhanger
“Cliffhanger” was, arguably, one of Sylvester Stallone’s best movies in the 1990s, and one of his last truly popular ones before he would return to the “Rocky” well in 2006, and “The Expendables” in 2010. By the end of the summer of 1993, “Jurassic Park” would cement that audiences were more interested in effects-driven action films, and star vehicles for people like Stallone were not going to have much cache for long. In a way, this would tap into another sub-genre of action that was asserting itself in the early ’90s, as this is, essentially, “‘Die Hard’ on a mountain.” Having the director of the second “Die Hard” movie no doubt helped this film across the finish line, and be as nimble as it is.
Much like “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” one of the first things people think of when they think of “Cliffhanger” is the opening sequence. Honestly, it’s easy to see why, because even though you can see the seams in some of the action now as Stallone’s Gabe Walker tries to save Sarah, an inexperienced climber whom fellow ranger Hal (Michael Rooker) has taken up to “The Tower,” but you aren’t thinking about that in the moment. The build-up, the execution, and the emotional fallout when Gabe doesn’t succeed is palpable. The way Harlin and cinematographer Alex Thomson visualize it, the way Trevor Jones scores it, it’s as good a set piece as the ’90s ever produced, and considering some of the other ones we got in 1993 alone, that’s quite a compliment.
From there, eight months later, the narrative kicks in. We first find ourselves at the Department of the Treasury in Denver, and an FBI agent hitching a ride on a flight carrying $100 million in bills used for foreign transactions. At the same time, Gabe finds himself coming back after leaving to do work. He’s still racked with guilt over what happened, with Jessie (Janine Turner) trying to tell him who everyone else stayed together in their shared grief. Little do they know that, overhead, the flight with the money is being hijacked by international terrorist Eric Qualen (John Lithgow), but they lose the money, which is spread out over the mountains below. When they crash land, they call the rangers for “emergency assistance,” and Hal and Gabe reluctantly must partner with Qualen to find them when they get there.
Stallone reworked the screenplay by Michael France (inspired by a premise by John Long), and there’s not a lot of meat on the bones of “Cliffhanger” once the story starts proper. I do like the way the rivalry between Hal and Gabe plays out, and how it plays out naturally- Rooker is good in that “antagonist but not villain” mode with Stallone. I love how Lithgow absolutely chews the scenery, and understands that this is inherently a silly film. The cinematography and score are wonderful throughout, and Harlin keeps the film moving at a great pace. If you like your action cheesy, high concept and driven by scene-chewing acting vs. macho men battles, you honestly cannot go wrong with this film.
