Apparently despondent and intent on taking a swan-dive to end
his misery, an ex-cop and convict-on-the-lam checks into a hotel, and climbs
out on the window ledge on the 21st floor.
At the same time he is up there, while the crowd, cops, TV
cameras, and news reporters gather, a heist is underway in a neighboring
building.
It isn’t long before we discover the modus operandi behind the would-be-suicide is just distraction
tactics.
There is some notable acting talent on display, with Elizabeth Banks, Sam Worthington, Génesis Rodriguez, Jamie Bell,
Edward Burns, Ed Harris, William Sadler, Anthony Mackie, Titus Welliver, Felix
Solis, and Kyra Sedgwick, all putting in good performances. Sadly, the script
is corny and the plot-twists are contrived. While Man on a Ledge was enjoyable, various scenes reminded
me of movies I’d previously seen. Anyone familiar with: The Taking of
Pelham One Two Three [1974], Inside Man [2006], Mission: Impossible [1996], Phone Booth [2002], Dog Day Afternoon [1975] and Die Hard [1988], will notice the
similarities in Man on a Ledge.
Even the dialogue about the red line reminded me of Juggernaut [1974].
Man on a Ledge is entertaining, in a light-weight and brainless way, but it still felt like rehash of
those previous movies ... and that I have a problem with.
In the end, Man on
a Ledge, as a thriller, wasn’t very thrilling and there are clichés and
plot-holes-a-plenty.
Disappointing.
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