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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Cliffhanger

EMAILPRINTTriStar Pictures

Cliffhanger reviews
60
5.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 16 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 2 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Action  |  Adventure  |  Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Michael France (also screen story)
Sylvester Stallone
John Long (premise)

Directed by: Renny Harlin

Release Date:
Theatrical: May 28, 1993
DVD: June 13, 2000

Running Time: 113 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R

Starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner, Rex Linn, Caroline Goodall, Craig Fairbrass, and Max Perlich

Sarah (Turner) was an inexperienced climber. She trusted Gabe (Stallone) to rescue her. But something went wrong high above the valley floor. Cliffhanger is high-altitude avalanche of action: a non-stop adventure peak with suspense and capped with heart-quaking terror. (Sony Pictures)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Variety Todd McCarthy

But where most rugged he-man films feature a few action sequences scattered throughout, director Renny Harlin keeps the adventure stuff in this reputed $ 65 million production coming at an astonishing pace.

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80

Time Richard Schickel

Director Harlin's only large mistake is staging the several violent deaths too authentically. They momentarily mar the high-speed implausibility of a movie that, like his Die Hard 2, agreeably combines the edgy and the genial.

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80

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

All of the performers are upstaged by the film's breathtaking backdrop, and by the fast and furious way Renny Harlin, the director, approaches action sequences.

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80

Empire Mark Dinning

Action filmmaking at its best; a career high for director Harlin and arguably Stallone as well.

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78

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

It grabs you by the viscera in the opening prologue and for the next two hours rarely lets go.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Movies like this are machines for involving us and thrilling us. Cliffhanger is a fairly good machine.

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75

TV Guide Staff(not credited)

Cliffhanger offers us breathtaking mountain scenery, some occasionally gripping action sequences, and a lot of gags--mostly unintentional and mostly courtesy of Sylvester Stallone.

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75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Christopher Harris

As directed by Renny Harlin (the director of Die Hard 2), Cliffhanger passes the principal tests of an action movie - it has truly awe-inspiring stunts and special effects and many of its suspense sequences will leave you with your heart in your mouth.

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67

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Despite the don't-look-down Olympian settings, Cliffhanger's spirit is brutal and earthbound.

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50

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

On the other hand, the brutality and sadism it delivers at every opportunity, which we're supposed to take for granted as part of the "fun," left me feeling that any civilization that can create such an entertainment may not deserve to survive.

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50

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The dialogue is routine, frequently punctuated by cliches, and the character-building scenes do little more than waste time.

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50

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

For all its technical sophistication, this movie is as blaring and unambiguous as a picture book for the very young.

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50

USA Today Mike Clark

After a tense, terrific, stomach-turning opening that may have moviegoing acrophobes recalling Vertigo, the film soon becomes the latest screen variation on cat-and-Mighty Mouse. [28May1993 Pg.04.D]

40

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

Make no mistake, the high-flying stunts in director Renny Harlin's film are definitely state of the art, and while they're going on, the film works up a serious level of excitement. But as soon as the action stops and the inevitable talking begins, Cliffhanger falls to earth with a considerable thud. [28 May 1993 Pg. F1]

40

Washington Post Rita Kempley

He's slightly more articulate than usual, but the lines still fall from his lips like beaten boxers to the mat. Not that it much matters, given the constant mayhem.

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30

Washington Post Desson Thomson

It's an eroticism of nastiness -- triple-X fare for dirty old men in raincoats. If you resist this sleazy gorefest, you'll be right to feel proud of yourself.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 5.0 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ryan W gave it a10:
My dad and I are huge fans of Stallone and Cliffhanger is one of his finest. 2 thumbs up.

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