Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger is Sylvester Stallone's come-back movie. I say come-back because Stallone has had a run of bombs. This movie won't bomb because it delivers everything it promises: Suspense, adventure, and cliffhanging sequences. I have never seen a movie quite like this.
The movie opens with a scene so remarkable, it will stay in your mind for a long time. Hal (Michael Rooker) took his girlfriend, Sarah (Michelle Joyner, who gives an outstanding short performance here), rock climbing. She was inexperienced and when they got to the top, Hal re-injured his knee. They called for help and Gabe (Sylvester Stallone) came to the rescue. The sequence where he climbs the Tower is remarkable because it shows him actually climbing. The helicopter, flown by Jessie (Janine Turner) and Frank (Ralph Waite), fly to an opposing tower. Gabe reaches the top and hooks a cable, suspended by the helicopter, to the tower. Hal hooks himself up and slides across. Gabe helps Sarah hook up and she slowly crosses the cable. Halfway there, the harness breaks. Sarah screams and Gabe slides out to save her. I won't ruin the sequence by telling you what happens, but it is a wonderful scene sure to leave a mark in your mind.
The movie actually begins here. A hijacking team hijacks a money transporter plane, in mid-air, and takes the money. They lose the money during the transport of the money from one plane to the other. An amazing stunt takes place during this point. A man crosses from one plane to the other over a cable linking the two planes together. It's an incredible scene. After they lose the money, the plane is shot up and crashes.
Here, they call for help and Gabe and Hal greet them. The hijackers, led by Qualin (John Lithgow), take them hostage and make them find the money. This sets off the entire story, which I am not going to explain. It's a visual experience with a good story and good acting, by all the stars. There are a few scenes taken out of the movie that were in the trailer that I was disappointed were not in the movie. One was where Stallone leaps across from one mountain peak to another. When they cut it out, they left a plot hole that forgot to explain itself.
The cinematography is fantastic and uses the scenery well. The story suggests that it is in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado but actually, the mountain scenes were filmed in the gorgeous Alps. The music is excellent for an action picture. I've never heard such a peaceful theme for this kind of movie. However, the music sounds a lot like Last of the Mohicans which is also written by Trevor Jones. But that doesn't matter. It sounds great and adds a wonderful touch to the overall picture.
The movie is rated R for a good reason. It's got a lot of harsh language, a lot of gore, but thankfully no sex or nudity. This movie is for hardcore action fans only, and they should enjoy it thoroughly. I know I did. That's how it became my favorite movie of 1993.