Man on a Ledge sounds like an intriguing, possibly high-adrenaline heist film. Unfortunately, it goes from toeing the line into ridiculous to diving right into the absurd.
Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is a former cop that is wrongly convicted of stealing an enormous diamond from crooked businessman David Englander (Ed Harris). When he escapes from jail in an outrageous chase scene through a cemetery, Nick decides to emerge from hiding to climb out the window of a spectacular hotel and stand on the ledge. Meanwhile, his little brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) perform a heist to prove Nick’s innocence; the point of the scenario is to find the supposedly stolen diamond on Englander’s property while Nick distracts cops, media, and bystanders. Nick tries to gain the trust of cop Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) because there just has to be at least one corrupt cop working for Englander and Nick will, of course, need an honest, outsider cop on his side. Once everything seems to fall apart for Nick and his crew, miracle upon miracle occurs in order to force in some actual action sequences that are completely over-the-top.
Not once does Worthington convince the audience that he is seriously considering jumping from the ledge. There is absolutely no suspense. He is very clearly there only as a distraction. The dialogue does suggest some desperation for Nick, but Worthington does not convey it. I do not blame Worthington even though he is not known for any great acting ability; none of the actors were convincing aside from Rodriguez playing the typical Megan Fox-type role. It seems like bad directing and writing led to a complete waste of talent and stars, including small parts featuring Kyra Sedgwick and Edward Burns and a major role for Anthony Mackie as Nick’s former partner.
The idea might sound unique and intriguing, but Man on a Ledge shifts from a standard, unsurprising story to far-fetched stretches in order to increase the adrenaline. Skip it.
Rating for Man on a Ledge: D+
For more information on this film or to view its trailer, click here.
Man on a Ledge is playing in all of the major theaters in Columbus, though it is currently playing the most showtimes at AMC Easton. For showtimes, click here.
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