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Cliffhanger, Eric Qualen (John Lithgow)

Site Rating: 77%
(ratings: 3)
Writeup Rating: 90%
(ratings: 2)
Film: Cliffhanger (1993)
Deceased Character: Eric Qualen (John Lithgow)
Archetype: Baddy (Major)
Killed by: Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone)
Killed with: Falling


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Written by Mr. Mouseburger 23rd Mar 2006

Kindly submitted by A.K.

Qualen is the criminal mastermind who managed to plan a mid air heist of a considerable sum of money. It is understandable therefore that he wants to exact some vengeance when he discovers that all his best-laid plans have been completely ruined and his team wiped out by local climber Gabe Walker and his forestry commission friends.

Still, with the FBI closing in on them Qualen is smart enough to know that he needs to cut his losses and escape. It is at this point that Gabe appears again. Qualen has him at gunpoint while sitting in the helicopter, and he orders Gabe to give him the remaining money or he will kill him.

Walker appears to comply, but in a characteristic show of defiance, he throws the moneybag into the rotors of the helicopter and makes a run for it. The result of this is predictable; the money is shredded finer than confetti, much to Qualen’s annoyance. He begins to chase Gabe in the helicopter. Walker manages to get the cable wire that is hanging from the helicopter and attach the hook of it to the top of the ladder that goes along the mountain wall.

Qualen tries to drive over Walker with the helicopter, and Gabe is running frantically towards the edge of the cliff to avoid Qualen. Walker jumps down from the edge just before the helicopter hits him and, using his mountain skills, grabs hold of the ladder so he does not fall into the abyss. Qualen flies forward in the helicopter and begins to rip the ladder loose from the mountain wall. Half of the ladder is loose, but Gabe still manages to hang on for dear life!

He is saved more difficulty when Tucker comes and shoots the helicopter from the ledge with a shotgun. This damages it and causes the helicopter to smash in to the mountain wall, coming to rest hanging upside down precariously. Gabe is not able to hold on to the ladder any longer, and he falls, fortuitously into the bottom of the helicopter; Qualen, who has somehow survived the crash, climbs out from the flight deck preparing to fight our hero. Gabe tries to climb back up the mountain, but Qualen pulls him back down and they start to fight.

First Gabe gets a few punches to his face and it appears that he is in trouble. With all the activity of the fight though, the helicopter begins to show signs that it is about to fall as the wire ladder groans under the weight. It is clear that it will not support the craft for much longer.

With time being of the essence, Gabe gets the energy to kick Qualen’s arse and he punches him back in the helicopter, manages to find the time to think up a fairly witty comment to quip to Qualen "Keep you’re hands and legs inside of the vehicle" (I say witty, but what I really mean is it is quite witty for a Stallone character), and he grabs the mountain wall with split second timing,  as the wire cable gives way, causing the helicopter to falls down the mountain with Qualen inside it. It crashes into the ground hundreds of metres below and explodes spectacularly.



4 categories : One on One, Explosion, Falling, Crash

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Last Updated: 27th Nov 2009
Number of views for this review since 30th May 2008: 8803
This review has 11 comments. Reply to the comments
Comment 1 by 'KrazyCorn' (reply to this comment)
I would like some pictures please
Comment 2 by 'KrazyCorn' (reply to this comment)
why aren't there any pics?
Comment 3 by 'Kooshmeister' (reply to this comment)
Obviously because no one has submitted them yet.
Comment 4 by 'Karl_Eichholtz_13' (reply to this comment)
why wasn't he in a cable car he fell to his death in a vehicle?
Comment 5 by 'Matt' (reply to this comment)
What sort of question is that? You need to ask the writers that. Or something.
Comment 6 by 'Kooshmeister' (reply to this comment)
He wasn't in a cable car when he died because, uh, he just plain wasn't in a cable car. Simple as that.

And incidentally, cable cars are a kind of vehicle. Your quesrion makes no sense.
Comment 7 by 'Brian Rogan' (reply to this comment)
Very good fight but we need pictures for this movie death
Comment 8 by 'Kooshmeister' (reply to this comment)
I have them on my PhotoBucket account but nothing from there seems to be getting added.

Cliffhanger death screenshots
Comment 9 by 'Brian' (reply to this comment)
The fight itself was very short sort off wouldn't you say?
Comment 10 by 'Kooshmeister' (reply to this comment)
Short but exciting. Not all fights need to be long.
Comment 11 by 'Brian' (reply to this comment)
Yeah exciting fight but short but as you said not all fights need to be long.:thumbsup: