HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger

Studio: Sony/TriStar

Year: 1993

Rated: R

Program Length: 113 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 1080p

Languages: English, French, 5.1 DTS-HD MA

Subtitles: English SDH, English, French

The Program

Kill a few people, they call you a murderer. Kill a million, and you’re a conqueror. Go figure. – Qualen, international thief

Renny Harlin’s Cliffhanger is the perfect Blu-ray disc to show off the capabilities of a high-definition home theater. The film mostly takes place in spectacular mountain locales which are gorgeously photographed by cinematographer Alex Thomson. It is a feast of fast-paced action, sweat-inducing suspense, amazing stunts and room-rattling explosions. The story also has a fair share of implausibility, but Cliffhanger is so well made that the occasional leap of logic is easily forgiven.

Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone) is a mountain climber for Rocky Mountain Rescue who spends his days locating and rescuing lost hikers and climbers in Colorado. He works closely with his girlfriend Jessie (Janine Turner), who pilots a rescue helicopter, and his best friend Hal Tucker (Michael Rooker). After a rescue attempt which ends badly, Gabe takes a sabbatical but is goaded back into action by Jessie after she receives a report of lost climbers who have been stranded in a snowstorm.

The rescue mission has a promising start but takes a disturbing turn when Gabe and Hal discover that the climbing party is actually a group of international thieves. Led by the notorious Qualen (John Lithgow), the criminals’ plan goes awry when their plane crashes in the mountains during the storm. As the aircraft  begins to spiral out of control, the criminals lose three suitcases containing millions of dollars in cash. They then force Gabe and Hal to help them locate and recover the money.

What follows is a non-stop, dizzying and deadly game of hide-and-seek, as Gabe manages to get away from Qualen’s gang and tries to beat them to the loot. Along the way he encounters almost every kind of obstacle one can imagine. Avalanches, perilous precipices, explosions, and bat-inhabited caves conspire with the criminals to thwart Gabe’s efforts. In the meantime, the members of the gang begin to turn on each other as their situation becomes increasingly desperate.

Stallone is ruggedly effective as Gabe, and Cliffhanger gives him plenty of opportunities to show off his well-developed biceps. John Lithgow is appropriately cold-blooded as Qualen. Michael Rooker is athletic and believable as Tucker, and Janine Turner is slight of build but spunky as Jessie. Director Harlin keeps the action moving at a breathtaking pace and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing about what will happen next.

Anyone who appreciates high-octane action films will be happy to sit back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy two hours of breathtaking adventure in the Rocky Mountains (well, actually the Italian Alps).

The Video

Cliffhanger is properly framed at 2.40:1, and the 1080p Blu-ray transfer is a sight to behold. The image is razor-sharp and the mountain scenery is captured in all of its natural glory. Colors and flesh tones are accurately rendered. Film grain is minimal and the overall effect is satisfyingly film-like. A number of scenes take place at night or in caves, and shadow detail is superb. The scenes which were filmed on soundstages are very realistic and are seamlessly integrated with the location photography. This is a reference-quality Blu-ray disc which is sure to be used by many viewers to show their friends how great a film can look in a good home theater environment.

The Audio

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is a worthy companion to the outstanding video. Whether the sounds are from helicopters, airplanes, explosions, rock slides, or avalanches, the subwoofer and surround channels all get a workout. Every word of dialogue is clear and understandable. The film also has a stirring and evocative music soundtrack by Trevor Jones which is given an expansive soundstage.

The Supplements

All of the supplements on this Blu-ray disc, except the original theatrical trailer, are presented in standard definition and English stereo. Most of them appear to have been ported over from the Special Edition DVD which was released in 2000.

The extras include two commentaries. The first is a running commentary by both director Renny Harlin and star Sylvester Stallone. Both have interesting insights into the making of the film, but it is something of an oddity because it is apparent that their comments were recorded separately and later edited together. The second commentary track includes comments from members of the technical crew.

A five-minute introduction to the film by the director appears to have been made as shooting of the film was wrapping up.

A few deleted scenes are introduced by the director, who explains why they were cut from the finished product. One wise cut was a scene of Stallone making a leap across a chasm which would have killed any mere mortal.

Also included is a “making of” featurette called “Stallone on the Edge” which runs for twenty minutes and would have been terrific to watch in high-definition. Alas, it is letterboxed in standard definition.

Two special effects featurettes explain how two of the more spectacular stunts in the movie were made.

Finally, there are storyboard comparisons and the film’s original theatrical trailer. The trailer can be played with an introduction by Renny Harlin. Happily, the highly original trailer is in high-definition. What makes it unique is that it contains no dialogue or sound effects from the film. Instead, a series of scenes from the film is shown, accompanied only by unidentified operatic music and chorus (if anyone recognizes the piece, please let us know). The music is in stereo and is quite effective.

BD-live features will be enabled on the release date.

The Packaging

The BD disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case.

The Final Analysis

Cliffhanger is one of the rare contemporary action films to have been given the full Criterion treatment during the heyday of laserdiscs. However, viewing that laserdisc is a tame experience compared to watching it in spectacular high definition and with uncompressed 5.1 audio. Allow yourself a degree of suspension of disbelief and enjoy the thrill ride.

Equipment used for this review:

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player

Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specification by Gregg Loewen

Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver

BIC Acoustech speakers

Interconnects: Monster Cable

Release Date: January 12, 2010