Cliffhanger (1993)
66%RT Audience Score: 52%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
1 win & 12 nominations total
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
Cliffhanger is like a rollercoaster ride that you’re excited to get on, but once it starts, you realize it’s not as thrilling as you thought it would be. The stunts and special effects are impressive, but the story is as thin as the air at high altitude. It’s like eating ice cream without any flavor – sure, it’s still ice cream, but it’s not as enjoyable as it could be. However, if you’re a Stallone fan and love 4K visuals, it’s worth checking out just for the sheer wonderment of it all.
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox, Brandywine Productions, Pinewood Studios,
Distributor
TriStar Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Mount Falzarago, Dolomites, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and language
Year of Release
1993
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Atmos
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 52m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1993 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 13, 2000
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner, Rex Linn, Caroline Goodall, directed by Renny Harlin, written by Michael France, action, adventure, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Christopher Harris, Steven Rea, Jay Boyar, Anthony Lane, Alistair Lawrence, MPAA rating R, produced by Alan Marshall, Renny Harlin, outdoor thriller, mountain rescuer, criminals, $100 million stash, plane crash, Rocky Mountains, stranded hikers, violent robbers, missing loot
Worldwide gross: $255,000,211
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $529,700,510
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 265
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 57,764,505
US/Canada gross: $84,049,211
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $174,591,659
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 434
US/Canada opening weekend: $16,176,967
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $33,603,689
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 393
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $70,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $145,407,863
Production budget ranking: 228
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $78,302,134
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $305,990,513
ROI to date (est.): 137%
ROI ranking: 806
John Lithgow – Eric Qualen
Michael Rooker – Hal Tucker
Janine Turner – Jessie Deighan
Rex Linn – Richard Travers
Caroline Goodall – Kristel
Alan Marshall – Producer
Renny Harlin – Producer, Director
Michael France – Writer
Director(s)
Renny Harlin
Writer(s)
Michael France
Producer(s)
Alan Marshall, Renny Harlin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
1 win & 12 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (18)
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.
April 10, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
it has truly awe-inspiring stunts and special effects and many of its suspense sequences will leave you with your heart in your mouth.
August 3, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
Christopher Harris
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
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.
August 3, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
The cinematography and gravity-defying stunt performances are exhilarating. The story, alas, is pure routine.
August 3, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Some movies get you so excited – so revved up on action and thrills — that you almost feel like you’re flying. Cliffhanger makes you feel like you’re dropping.
August 3, 2013 | Rating: 2/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
That rasping tension is soon smoothed away, as the plot sets off on its daft and hackneyed course.
August 3, 2013
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
The main thing that lets Cliffhanger down is a plot as thin as the high-altitude air that surrounds it.
June 9, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Alistair Lawrence
Common Sense Media
An admittedly frivolous yet highly entertaining action-heavy survivalist thriller.
September 11, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
…Cliffhanger kicks off with an enthralling sequence detailing a perilous rescue attempt within the aforementioned Rocky Mountains.
May 20, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
If you’re a Stallone fan and a 4K enthusiast, this is a must-see for the sheer wonderment of the visuals. If you’re one of those who can take or leave Sly and is nonplussed on 4K, there’s really not much on offer for you here.
November 14, 2018 | Rating: 6/10
Andrew Pollard
Starburst
Its special effects and scenery tower over its dialogue, its plotting and its character development, which are near rock bottom.
April 10, 2018
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
There’s a visceral charge to the high-altitude chase scenes, but the thriller ultimately falls flat, even on its own limited terms.
August 3, 2013
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor…
Plot
Whilst crossing a ledge, 4000 feet above the earth, Gabe’s friend’s equipment fails to work and she slips out of his hand, falling to the ground. Almost a year later, Gabe is asked to go back to the same mountain range and rescue a group of ‘stranded’ people. The only catch is that these so called ‘stranded’ people are in fact looking for three boxes filled with $100,000,000 and they need a mountain ranger to lead them to them!!
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film Cliffhanger on Fresh Kernels.
Renny-Harlin.jpg
