Cliffhanger

R

Released May 28, 1993

1 hr. 52 min.

Action

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

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List

68%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Outdoor thriller in which a former mountain rescuer is pitted against a group of criminals who have lost their $100 million stash during a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. After being persuaded to help rescue a group of stranded hikers, he discovers that they are in fact a gang of violent robbers who need help to locate their missing loot.

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Critics Consensus

While it can't escape comparisons to the movies it borrows from, Cliffhanger is a tense, action-packed thriller and a showcase for the talents that made Sylvester Stallone a star.

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Jesus

The first 10 to 15 minutes were good then the movie went somewhere I didn't expect it to go. Then it got better again but then got dull. It passed the time but not a great movie. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just Meh.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

Full Review

Blu B

Man after the opening 10 minutes which is really good it slowly just falls off. The pacing & editing is just ok and really is the main culprit of the problems here. The first half is significantly better than the second which just devolves into over the top action and it can feel like over the top action just happens. The first half the cracks show with the jumping between Stallone's character and the heist plot which feels like two completely different films. But once it comes together and they become divided up going after Stallone it just doesn't really recover. Renny Hamlin does a decent job with everything else though and keeps it going just enough to where it's passable. There are some amazing shots and special effects in this. However there is so many over the top action scenes in this that really weighs things down and gets rid of any suspense for dumb action. Same thing with the acting also which is better in the first half which has more character development. The bad guys are forgettable and become less smart and sinister and more and more like cartoonish bad guys with over the top acting and actions at times.Everyone does these weird random screaming freakouts out of nowhere at times which is laughable. The music also is stronger in the first half and just becomes forgettable eventually which is odd. It limps to the finish line eventually. This needed to find a better way to setup the heist plot and Stallone's character despite the awesome opening. Unless your a die hard Stallone or Hiking/Climbing fan skip this. It's a shame because it starts out soooo promising.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Dean B

Slightly underrated film. This film was well rounded so to speak. Suspenseful. The scenery was fantastic. The storyline and characters were all very good, albeit the very first scene which was over the top Suspenseful, no pun intended. Their are certain scenes in movies that are so well done, you wonder if it'd be best to leave them out. Very good movie however, a rare staple for Stallone.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

Full Review

Jeremy H

Watched it for the first time tonight. I remember when it was first released in the theaters. I imagine at the time of its release it was very exciting to watch. This is the type of film I could totally see being remade. John Lithgow as a villain… 👍

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/20/23

Full Review

Spike G

Decent fun overall a movie

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

Jordan W

Cliffhanger has an immense sense of scale and adventure through its treacherous setting in the snowed-out Rockies while constantly throwing rock-climber-rescue-rangers Gabe Walker and Hal Tucker (Sylvester Stallone and Michael Rooker) in one spectacular stunt after the next. Between our lead protagonists altruism and determination to outwit our unraveling team of antagonists lead by Eric Qualen and Richard Travers (two standout performances from one John Lithgow and a rabid Rex Linn), the elements are against both to allow a consistently adventurous experience. Director Renny Harlin is clearly more confident in his directoral capabilities here than in his days of directing Die Hard 2, as he digs out a plethora of scenic sequences rife with inventive and nail biting action. Yes, the film is admittedly in the framework of the many many Die Hard knock offs to follow the successful formula during the 1990's. However Cliffhanger stands out through its sheer insistent to be as entertaining as possible. Whether through a spectacular areal heist or Stallone narrowly clinging to cliff face as he's shot at from below, the single more appropriate adjective ascribed to Cliffhanger is that it's thoroughly gripping!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/07/23

Full Review

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Renny Harlin

Director

Sylvester Stallone

Gabe Walker

John Lithgow

Eric Qualen

Michael Rooker

Hal Tucker

Janine Turner

Jessie Deighan

Rex Linn

Richard Travers

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Cliffhanger: Trailer 1

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Cliffhanger does its damnedest to see that the audience gets its money's worth of thrills. But for all the state-of-the-art stunt work, the movie has little personality; it's ice cream without flavor.

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Christopher Harris

Globe and Mail

it has truly awe-inspiring stunts and special effects and many of its suspense sequences will leave you with your heart in your mouth.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 3, 2013

Full Review

Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

The fact that so much money was lavished on such a thick-headed project represents the height of fiscal ineptitude, but this is the kind of roller-coaster ride for which eager audiences will gladly check their brains at the turnstiles, so go figure.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 3, 2013

Full Review

Patrick Hicks

Feelin' Film Podcast

Big alpine action with megastar Sylvester Stallone taking on dual thieving villains in a treacherous mountain setting makes this a defining 90s movie thriller, full of quotable one-liners and memorable set pieces and kills.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 8, 2024

Full Review

Fedor Tot

Vague Visages

What I would give for more films with Cliffhanger’s sense of scale and spectacle.

Jun 13, 2023

Full Review

Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

The main thing that lets Cliffhanger down is a plot as thin as the high-altitude air that surrounds it.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 9, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Outdoor thriller in which a former mountain rescuer is pitted against a group of criminals who have lost their $100 million stash during a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. After being persuaded to help rescue a group of stranded hikers, he discovers that they are in fact a gang of violent robbers who need help to locate their missing loot.

Director: Renny Harlin
Executive Producer: Mario Kassar
Screenwriter: Michael France, Sylvester Stallone
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Production Co: Canal+, Carolco Pictures Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $80.5M
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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