A botched mid-air heist results in suitcases full of cash being searched for by various groups throughout the Rocky Mountains.
1993 was an excellent year for blockbusters. That year we got to see “Jurassic Park,” “The Fugitive,” “In the Line of Fire,” “Groundhog Day,” “Demolition Man,” “The Firm,” “Last Action Hero,” and, of course, “Cliffhanger.” Stallone had made several movies that bombed at the box office up to this point, including “Lock Up,” “Tango & Cash,” “Rocky V,” “Oscar,” and “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” so I can only imagine the apprehension Stallone must’ve been feeling. With the Rocky and Rambo series having catapulted his career into the stratosphere, many, including me, wondered if he’d ever retain that star power again. Thankfully, “Cliffhanger” was the film to do it.
A ruthless gang of international thieves hijacks a U.S. Treasury plane carrying millions of dollars, but the heist goes wrong, and the Treasury plane explodes over the Rockies. Three cases of cash survive but are scattered, miles apart, over mountainous terrain. The hijackers’ plane makes an emergency landing, and they make a distress call. When Mountain Rangers Gabe Walker (Stallone) and Harold “Hal” Tucker (Michael Rooker) turn up, they quickly realize the emergency call is fake, and they are forced to help them locate the money. Both men comprehend that once they help the terrorists find the cash, they will be of no further use and killed off, so Gabe manages to escape, formulating a plan to stop the thieves and rescue his friend.
Renny Harlin was a young Finnish in-demand director known for “Prison,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master,” and “Die Hard 2: Die Harder” so he was a natural choice to helm Stallone’s return-to-form blockbuster. John Lithgow plays the leader of the terrorists, Eric Qualen, a psychopathic British former military intelligence officer who got the role after original choice, Christopher Walken, bailed at the last minute. Somehow, I can’t envision Stallone and Walken battling it out together in the film’s finale atop a dangling helicopter hanging from a cliffside cable, but thanks to Lithgow’s towering and imposing 6′ 4″ frame, the movie’s climax proves more credible, despite his attempt at a laughable English accent.
Michael Rooker, Janine Turner, Rex Linn, Caroline Goodall, Paul Winfield, Ralph Waite, and Craig Fairbrass round out the cast and do well in their respective roles. “Cliffhanger” was one of the biggest box office hits of 1993, and along with “Demolition Man,” released later that year, Stallone was back in top form. The action set-pieces are spectacular, along with some breathtaking views of the Italian Dolomites, and while some of the cringe-worthy and laughable dialogue hasn’t held up as well over time, the movie’s opening has to be one of the most nerve-wracking and exhilarating scenes ever put on film. If you still haven’t seen “Cliffhanger,” buckle up and hang on!
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