10 Movies Where The Villains BOTCHED An Easy Win
1. Eric Qualen - Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger's psychotic gang leader Eric Qualen (John Lithgow) would've absolutely gotten away with his plan to steal $100 million from the U.S. Treasury had he not absent-mindedly gotten a little loose-lipped.
Qualen's plan involves using mountain rangers Gabe (Sylvester Stallone) and Hal (Michael Rooker) as guides to track down the three cases containing the money.
But when Gabe climbs up the cliff face to grab the first case, Qualen loudly tells his goons to kill him once he's handed the case over, noting that they don't need two guides to get the job done.
Yet Qualen stupidly says this in direct earshot of Hal, who immediately shouts the information up at Gabe, telling him not to come down.
During the ensuing struggle to capture Gabe, an avalanche is triggered, killing one of his men and causing Qualen to believe that Gabe is also dead. But in fact, he survives and goes on to eventually foil Qualen's plan.
Had he simply been more discreet about his instructions, Gabe would've been pretty effortlessly killed when he came back down with the case.