Review of Cliffhanger (1993) by Timothy S — 07 Mar 2012

"Cliffhanger" is a big and loud summer action flick filled with a lot of exciting set pieces and unusually expensive stunts and special effects. The nice thing is that you can actually see all of that money on the screen so at least the filmmakers' efforts did not go to waste. The movie came out at a time when nearly every action film released was some sort of variation on "Die Hard", and this was certainly no exception.

But it is also undeniably entertaining, so you can only fault it so much. Renny Harlin has risen from the ranks of B-movie mediocrity to hone his craft with big budget extravaganzas such as this, and he has a real flair for them. The action sequences are thrilling and spectacular, and the beautiful scenery greatly enhances the proceedings with Italy filling in for Colorado.

None of the characters, whether good guys or bad guys, make a lot of sound decisions in the picture, but I suppose all of that was necessary to keep the story going. Sylvester Stallone could play this damaged hero in his sleep, but he is at the top of his game here. The guy has an impossibly chiseled physique, but he still has the ability to humanize his characters. The guy will always look like Rambo, but here, he does feel like a regular guy. And the opening scene that causes his psychological damage is the best sequence in the film, a breathtaking moment that is spectacularly filmed.

John Lithgow makes an adequate villain, but his vaguely British accent is distracting. "Cliffhanger" isn't a great film but it is a solid thriller with some amazing stunts and beautiful photography. And there are some pretty imaginative deaths.