-
Now on DVD and Blu-ray-Promised Land -
Reacher Coming to DVD and Blu-ray -
Coming to Blu-ray and DVD-Django Unchain ... -
John Ford's Favorite Film -
Coming to Blu-ray and DVD-The Impossible
Now on DVD and Blu-ray-Hyde Park on Huds ...
MAKING FILM SCHOLARSHIP FUN
Now on DVD/Blu-ray—This Is 40
Playing Nationwide: On the Road
Celeste and Jesse Forever on DVD and Blu ...
Photographic Memory—Now on DVD and Blu-R ...
HOORAY FOR 1933—EIGHTY YEARS LATERMan On A Ledge—movie review
My problem with Man on a Ledge is that once I understood the real storyline—the one hidden behind the flashy premise—I became impatient to see it resolved. The film isn’t long, but I lost interest just the same. And while Sam Worthington, as the title character, Elizabeth Banks, as an ostracized hostage negotiator, and Edward Burns, as a dubious fellow cop, turn in good performances, other key characters are shallow and obvious, wasting the talents of such costars as Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, and Kyra Sedgwick. How many times are we supposed to summon interest in such archetypes as a dirty cop, a ruthless and corrupt business tycoon, and a self-promoting TV reporter?
That’s a shame, because Pablo F. Fenjves’ screenplay has some novel twists here and there, but they’re smothered by shopworn ideas that should have been pruned.
As for the look of the picture, I’m told that the filmmakers are proud of the fact that they actually shot on a building ledge, and put leading man Worthington in that spot. Too bad such efforts are wasted today, when we assume everything is painted on a photorealistic computer palette and can no longer tell the difference between reality and CGI.
Man on a Ledge isn’t a bad movie, but it also isn’t terribly good. It’s the kind of mediocre entertainment I expect to find opening nationwide in January.
Email Updates
Latest Tweets
-
“@Phish957: @mattfugate @leonardmaltin looks?” Good guess! But no. #thereplacements
Posted 9 hours ago -
@mattfugate @leonardmaltin looks?
Posted 10 hours ago -
The first word of the @leonardmaltin review of #thereplacements is "by." The second is "the." Anyone care to guess what the third one is?
Posted 10 hours ago -
@leonardmaltin I have a homecinema in my garden shed if poss could u pls vote 4 it as shed of the year & RTpls?thx http://t.co/jG1SpBUIfk
Posted 17 hours ago
Monthly Archives
Most "Liked"
-
Greta's New Wave: Frances Halike0 -
Star Trek Into Darknesslike0 -
The Incredible Shrinking 3-D Audien ...like0
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|  |
 |  |
3 Comments
Norm | February 7, 2012 1:08 PM
Gee, wouldn't you think that having Elizabeth Banks as a hostage negotiater might make you rethink being on a ledge, yep, now the film goes into sci-fi category...Of course there is always:
Rewrite: Sam Worthington is having dreams of being a clown, when rejected by the circus, becomes a cop, or does he ? To prove everyone wrong, he goes out on a ledge, physically and metaphorically to confront his demons...or, is it just a dream..Lon Chaney makes a cameo as the ringmaster...Put it in the can...
Norm | February 2, 2012 3:51 AM
I agree with Maltin's review, Harold Lloyd did a better job, and it wasn't even a drama...
It amazes me how many people attack the messenger, but forget or don't understand the message...Of course if you LOVED "The Grey" then even this level of entertainment will mesmerize you for a long , long time...
Jason | January 28, 2012 3:42 PM
With this review and his review of the terrific The Grey, I'm convinced Leonard Maltin needs to be examined for ADD. A six year old has a longer attention span.