Cliffhanger (1993)

Cliffhanger lives mostly up to its name, serving up a mix of elements similarly found in The Edge, Broken Arrow, and Vertical Limit -- except the bad guys are hunting down GPS-tagged suitcases of money (instead of nukes) and the mountain-climbing heroes don't require oxygen tanks (or jackets, says the villain). The opening scenes are a memorable setup for Gabe (Sylvester Stallone) as a hypermuscular if morose mountain climber who is forced to outrace the bad guys with the help of his mountaineering pal Hal (Michael Rooker) and girlfriend Jessie (Janine Turner). I like Caroline Goodall as a bad-girl copter pilot but esp. John Lithgow's bad-guy histrionics -- he's petulant with a pistol -- including the homicidal steps he'll take to repeatedly level the playing field. You may shiver in your seat if you feel the cold and the heights as Stallone races through his Herculean paces to get to the money first then outwit and outflank the guys with guns. The climax and finale are even more exciting (and explosive); the only thing I didn't like was the movie's raft of expletives. Cliffhanger is a goodie that bears repeated watching -- whenever you feel like it since it's now on IW. 3.5 stars.