Review: Man on a Ledge

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Man on a Ledge

Man on a Ledge is one of those films where the reaction you have toward it will be based upon the mood you're in going into it. On the one hand, you've got a cliché-ridden mess that at times seems like it took pages out of a screenwriting textbook and put them up in a theatrically released movie. On the other hand, you've got a cool, tense and more importantly fun heist flick starring some good actors.

What's funny about Man on a Ledge is that the first two acts of the film are the type of cliché-ridden piles filled with plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon that might make your head explode, but the third act is good enough and original enough to save the movie in the end. It's an impressive debut from director Asger Leth, and he has proven he can get a lot of out of a sizable cast.

While escaped convict/former police officer Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) seems to have found his freedom, he inexplicably checks into a very nice hotel room with a great view, sits down for a nice meal and then promptly walks out onto the ledge of his room. As the requisite circus gathers underneath, he asks the NYPD for his own negotiator. They figure out that he checked into the room under an assumed name and begin scrambling to figure out his identity. All the while across the street, a diamond heist is taking place and Nick's motives become clearer to the audience.

Along the way,Man on a Ledge takes way more twists and turns and if you can drum up a cliche in your mind, it's probably there. The only cliche missing is the classic two-person exchange "Who's in charge here?" "I am!" "Not anymore you're not!" But go down the list: tough guy cop in charge from Brooklyn complete with thick accent? Check. News reporter with a Latin last name that is accentuated way too much? A big check there. (Shame on you Kyra Sedgwick, playing the very non-Latin Suzie Moralés.) Hungover cop at home awakened to come to the scene? Check. Although for this one, Elizabeth Banks scores major points when she does a remarkably good impression of John McClane from Die Hard with a Vengeance. Still, as the plot develops, the characters and their decisions are migraine-inducingly dumb.

All of that being said, the movie is absolutely saved by the fast-paced-yet-original-although-still-kind-of-dumb third act. Plot holes like the ones that plague this film can be forgiven when audience members are given something fun to look at, so they don't have their minds clouded with that logic nonsense that a lot of moviegoers need. The conclusion of the heist and the ending of the standoff on the ledge are done incredibly well and will bring out the inner movie cheerleader in you with some pretty daring stuntwork.

All in all, Man on a Ledge is a fun film and a better-than-decent January release to set the pace for the rest of the year. At a time in which the theater offerings are typically less than adequate, at least this is a movie with some original thought, mixed in with some fun cliches that will only serve to give you a harmless chuckle. In addition, Man on a Ledge has a real ending which is nice and is more than I can say for another blockbuster release this month.