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Parents' Guide to

Cliffhanger

By Alistair Lawrence, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Dated '90s action adventure has violence, language, peril.

Movie R 1993 113 minutes
Cliffhanger Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

age 13+

Good, but not that good.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

A commercial smash upon its release in 1993, this action adventure was nominated for three Oscars for its sound and special effects. As might be expected, the latter has aged as the years have gone by, but the main thing that lets Cliffhanger down is a plot as thin as the high-altitude air that surrounds it. Stallone is typically committed in the role of Walker, a talented but troubled ranger. But not even Sly flinging himself into the movie's set pieces or the lengthy fight scenes can endure this blockbuster. Likewise, Lithgow has little use for his talents, cast as Qualen, the predictably British leader of a stranded gang of thieves who are in need of better one-liners as much as they are a rescue party.

While it's unfair to judge '90s special effects by today's standards, the liberal use of green screens date the movie at the points where it should be at its most dramatic. Instead it's the mountain range setting, a nerve-wracking opening scene, and a midair heist between aircraft that are the main attractions of this tired '90s action movie.

Movie Details

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