Some movies succeed against all odds. A story that should not work can become a hidden gem in the eyes of thousands of film fans, no matter what critics say. In the 90s, Sylvester Stallone was widely known for two things: Rocky and Rambo. In an effort to expand his career beyond the usual typecast, Stallone embarked on many films that pushed him to his acting limits. Movies like Demolition Man, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, and even Judge Dredd challenged our perception of Sylvester Stallone as an actor, even if they were all action movies at their core. One of those movies that could have easily flown under the radar but have been reevaluated by fans over the years is 1993’s Cliffhanger – a film that, for all intents and purposes could never work without the Italian Stallion. Except we’re living in 2024, and every classic movie needs to be remade.
The Cliffhanger Reboot No One Wanted – Or Needed
In 2023, Sylvester Stallone announced he’d return to the Cliffhanger franchise with a legacy sequel, in the same fashion as Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. Legacy sequels are tricky enough on their own, having to live up to fans’ expectations and the legacy of their predecessors.
However, in late October this year, we received confirmation that Stallone was out and that the new Cliffhanger would be a reboot, not a sequel. Now, Lily James (Baby Driver, Cinderella) would play the lead role, alongside Pierce Brosnan.
According to Variety, the film is a “Father-daughter take on Die Hard. ” Jaume Collet-Serra, who also worked on the tense shark thriller The Shallows, will direct it. To be honest, the movie doesn’t sound terrible on paper—it’s just a shame that it relies on using the Cliffhanger name to sell tickets.
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The Original Film Was Lightning in a Bottle
As I mentioned, the planets aligned when Cliffhanger was first released in theaters. By all means, the action thriller should have been yet another forgettable popcorn flick, but the spirited performances and the gripping plot turned it into an iconic action classic instead.
One aspect of the original Cliffhanger that modern audiences often overlook is how solid the villains’ performances are in the film. It’s one of the first times that moviegoers would see John Lithgow playing a villain. We essentially have Cliffhanger‘s unlikely success to thank for the best season of Dexter. Michael Rooker was also outstanding in that movie, proving that he had that roguish appeal that would later shine in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Of course, the stars of the show are the movie’s action setpieces. That opening sequence alone lives rent-free in the heads of millions of people who are afraid of heights. It also takes some genuine talent to craft a sequence so iconic that Ace Ventura would want to parody it.
This upcoming Cliffhanger reboot shows some promise as a standalone thriller, but let’s be honest – it wouldn’t get nearly as much media buzz if it didn’t use Cliffhanger‘s fame. Collet-Serra is a skilled filmmaker with a natural talent for action thrillers, but no one could replicate the unparalleled tension of the 1993 original.
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Tell us, are you looking forward to Lily James’ Cliffhanger reboot / sequel?
