One of the best full tilt adventure films of the early nineties, CLIFFHANGER is a fast, fun and beautifully shot action film featuring all the best and worst attributes of Stallone at his box office peak.
Stallone stars as mountain rescue man Gabe Walker, in serious doubt after losing an inexperienced climber on his watch.
Upon his return, he and his fellow team members Hal (Michael Rooker), Jessie (Jineane Turner) and Frank (Ralph Waite) are immediately immersed in a bold skyjacking attempt to steal millions of dollars being transported by the Fed.
John Lithgow is at his oily bad guy best as Qualen, a violent, intelligent mad man bent on a daring mid air theft that goes spectacularly wrong, dropping some cases (which are amazingly easy to open with a rock by the way) filled with serious amounts of cash into the snow capped Rockies.
Director of Photography Alex Thompson (Legend, Excalibur) provides plenty of jaw dropping scenery, shot from dizzying helicopter shots that drop us right into the ropes, hanging off icy cliffs over incredible drops.
Lithgow is surrounded by a rogue's gallery of violent bad buys with a penchant for dropping f-bombs and some seriously violent beatings.
Stallone delivers on the action front with scene after scene of incredible physical feats, hand to hand combat and some of the best "pissing-off-the-bad-guys" tricks since Bruce Willis unleashed his fury on Alan Rickman in "Die Hard".
Unfortunately, you can also hear Stallone's imprint on some of the dramatic dialogue, which comes across with the delicate pitch of a Rambo or Rocky climax speech. It's rather painful.
But you aren't watching CLIFFHANGER for inspiring human drama.
You are watching for action and fun and on those fronts, Stallone and Director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, The Long Kiss Goodnight) deliver a slam bang, rip-roaring, snow covered great time.
CLIFFHANGER gets an ice hard B.
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