The Film
Sylvester Stallone has made his share of bad movies, but for every really bad one there is one that stands out as being fairly decent. Cliffhanger falls into the latter category. It followed the early 1990s tradition of "Die Hard on a" and in the case the "on a" was a mountain. After über criminal John Lithgow pulls off a daring mid-air heist of $100 million dollars (but never really pulls off the British accent), only to lose the money over the Rockies, he and his crew get caught up in a nonsensical cat and mouse game with Stallone's mountain rescue character. The escapist movie requires that you turn off the suspension of disbelief and enjoy the ride. This is a true Rocky Mountain High from beginning to end - even if it was shot mostly in the Alps!
The Picture
It is hard to believe that 1993 was 17 years ago! But it was, and this Blu-ray can't hide some of the age of the film. The result is a bit of grain in this 1080p 2.40:1 transfer, which is strikingly noticeable during the Tri-Star logo sequence - couldn't an improved HD version have been spliced in? The settings are filled with loads of breathtaking scenes which look outstanding here on Blu-ray, but the high definition picture is less kind to some of the studio shots, which really stand out much more now as being studio shots. Likewise, the new transfer allows you to see when it's really Sly and when it's a stand in. Isn't HD great?
The Sound
Sony really has done a great job with the sound on its latest Blu-ray releases of catalog titles, and Cliffhanger is no exception. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack has a full range of audio cues, and while the more ambient sounds are a bit lost in the mix, the action sequences roar to life creating an immersing experience.
The Extras
Sony's really pushing the movieIQ feature and the BD-Live functionality, but this disc actually offers more traditional bonus material as well, including commentaries with Director Renny Harlin and Stallone, as well as a technical crew commentary. There is also a personal introduction with Harlin, deleted scenes and a making of featurette, as well as featurettes on the special effects. Given that this is a 17-year old film, there really isn't a lot of new insight with this material, but it is still nice that it was included.
Final Thoughts
As heist films go this one offers quite a thrill ride. The biggest problem is that the mid-air sequence is really the highlight of the movie - and doesn't even include Stallone - making the rest just a downhill ride for the most part. However, the improved picture and sound, as well as a backpack full of extras do make this one to hang on to.
Product Details
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