Review of Cliffhanger (1993) by Deb S — 17 May 2011

Sly Stallone plays Gabe Walker, the leader of a mountain rescue team. After an accident early in the film claims the life of a colleague's girlfriend, he loses his nerve to climb hills and retires from the business of saving lives. Little does he know that his skills will be needed once more when a team of reckless mercenaries crash lands onto his range and tears the countryside apart looking for their lost loot. Veteran Gabe is persuaded to go and help along with his former friend Hal Tucker. (Michael Rooker).

John Lithgow plays the bad-ass leader Eric Qualen, a psychotic killer who is very determined to find the money as quickly as possible. He seems to relish his own evilness and we get to enjoy it with him. He is aided, by US Treasury employee turned bad, Richard Travers who has a tracking device for the three cases of cash. The two are captured by Qualen's men, and forced to lead a search through the mountains for the missing money. But Gabe manages to escape, while the gang keep Tucker as a guide. It's up to Walker who plays a game of cat and mouse with Qualen's gang to get to the money first.

Meanwhile Janine Turner gets a thankless role as the love interest. Her performance as Jessie is really bad, as she alternates from feisty to useless screamer.