--- title: "Cliffhanger: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/cliffhanger/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/cliffhanger" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Cliffhanger (1993): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 12 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics come down in favour, seven of twelve, and the praise gathers in one place: the mountain footage. The stunt work and the climbing sequences filmed at altitude are what the reviews remember, and Renny Harlin’s staging of the set-pieces is credited more than once as the best work of his career. The opening scene draws admiration, and several critics treat the film as the picture that put Stallone back on his feet. The reservations sit almost entirely with the script. Clichéd dialogue, a weak villain and a plot that strains belief once the action stops turn up in favourable and unfavourable reviews alike. The spread is wide, from warm approval to outright dismissal. The New Yorker finds the early excitement giving way to cheapness and nonsense, the Los Angeles Times objects to the sadistic violence, and both Time Out and The Independent argue the vertical drama never produces vertigo. Later reappraisals are warmer than some notices from 1993. ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 1993. The critic finds the film succeeds spectacularly at generating suspense and cold-sweat thrills through its death-defying action sequences and vertiginous visuals. Dialogue is the main drawback, but the sophistication of the effects and the breathtaking mountain backdrop provide the chief pleasures. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/28/movies/review-film-high-anxiety-amid-the-vistas.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 1993. The critic calls it an ideal summer popcorn picture that delivers nonstop visceral thrills and vertiginous footage unlike anything seen before. Harlin’s pacing and the convincing verisimilitude of the mountain action sequences are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/cliffhanger-1200432181/) ## The AV Club — Nick Schager Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 May 2016. The critic calls it one of Sylvester Stallone’s finest starring vehicles, with arguably the best opening scene in modern action cinema. They single out the expert staging of suspenseful sequences, the imposing snowcapped setting, sterling stunt work, and Renny Harlin’s direction as the pinnacle of his career. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/stallone-s-mountain-man-fights-terrorists-in-this-peak-1798246799) ## Empire — Mark Dinning Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The review praises the tense, vertigo-inducing set-pieces and taut suspense as action filmmaking at its best, calling it a career high for both Harlin and Stallone despite some script clichés. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cliffhanger-review/) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. High adventure and vertigo blend with blood and bullets to make this tension-packed tall tale a spectacular avalanche of dizzying escapism. Nail-biting stunts and photography that's close to the edge are the true stars of this Rockies-set Die Hard, directed with breathless energy by Renny Harlin. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hq2xkc/cliffhanger/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 1993. The film delivers on its promise of big-budget stunts and special effects as an entertaining action machine, even if the plot strains credibility. Ebert praises the thrilling sequences involving Stallone dangling from cliffs and the work of the stunt performers under Renny Harlin's direction. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cliffhanger-1993) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 26 June 1993. The critic finds the special effects state-of-the-art but the script clichéd and predictable, with a vertical drama that fails to induce vertigo on screen. While the varied action sequences keep viewers gripped for most of the runtime, the villain is weak and the story descends into clichés by the end. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-climb-ev-ry-cliche-cliffhanger-15-innocent-blood-15-the-old-lady-who-walked-in-the-sea-18-1494162.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 1993. The high-flying stunts are state of the art and generate excitement, but the story and dialogue fall flat once the action pauses. Turan singles out the sadistic violence and weak dramatic texture for criticism while noting the impressive Dolomites photography. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-28-ca-40628-story.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 June 1993. The critic concludes that the film fails to sustain its early promise, with excitement quickly giving way to cheapness and airy nonsense. Technical sophistication is acknowledged, but the overall manner is seen as blaring and the story corny. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/06/21/on-the-rocks-2) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Director Harlin makes the most of the scenery, but seldom manages to induce a tingling sense of vertigo. Fun for the undemanding, but Stallone's 'comeback' should have been much tighter. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cliffhanger-1) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2010. The critic finds Cliffhanger the better of two 1993 action films reviewed together and calls it good junk fun with solid choreography. He singles out the practical mountain-climbing sequences, especially a vertigo-inducing circling shot of Stallone, for praise while noting some dated CGI. [Read the review](https://collider.com/cliffhanger-and-the-last-action-hero-blu-ray-reviews/) ## Den of Geek — Simon Brew Rating 3/5. 19 August 2008. The critic has always had time for Cliffhanger as a good, solid action flick and career revival for Stallone. They single out the stunning scenery and ambitious action sequences filmed at altitude, along with the surprising opening scene, as what lifts the film. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cliffhanger-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/cliffhanger.md