Man on a Ledge: Review By Corey

All it takes is a simple idea to turn the table on an audience and intrigue them through an original and fresh concept. Man on a Ledge, a film that may look or sound simple, even based on its bland and boring title, is a example of a film with an idea so easily thought of but through surprise captures the audience through twists and turns never expected (unless of course you've seen the spoiler-y trailer). Ones that walk into Man on a Ledge expecting no more than, well, a man on a ledge, you are in for quite an exhilarating treat.

The film takes this idea of a man standing on a ledge threatening to jump to the next and most extreme level. At first you're led to believe that this is the character's last meal, his last day breathing. He's ready to die; ready to give up. From this point, the movie drastically changes its pace and brings us back to the character's past. The main character, Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop turned con finds himself in an impossible situation after he is framed for stealing a diamond that he claims he never touched. One year after escaping from prison, he shows his face once again in diabolical fashion. As he quickly becomes the face of New York City for the day, the intentions of the film unravel a very interesting concept: How far is a man willing to go to prove his innocence?

Man on a Ledge displays this tagline almost perfectly. The plan that Nick Cassidy has crafted to prove his innocence of a crime he was committed of is absolutely brilliant and watching him execute his plan as he threatens to jump off a building's ledge is absolute fine quality entertainment. Despite some of its flaws, Man on a Ledge is smart and extremely brilliant with its way of setting up its fresh storyline. The only thing the film truly misses is more defining characters.

The characters in the film are interesting enough to watch, but they aren't enough to become memorable in time. The movie's concept is something certainly memorable, but with that, the movie deserves characters that were crafted a bit more than the rank we see them in. No matter how good or decent the acting was, Nick Cassidy isn't a main protagonist I'll remember in the next two months to come. Probably with some better dialogue and execution to the introduction of all these characters, the movie probably would have been able to keep them a bit more intriguing and well-known to the audience even after seeing the film. Some of these character's might make you laugh once or twice throughout the movie, but it isn't enough to really, deep down, make you care for them or what happens in the climax. That's Man on a Ledge's biggest opportunity missed and the only reason why its not as great as it could have been.

Sam Worthington has come a long way since "Terminator Salvation", a 2009 release that got his name recognized. It wasn't his first performance in a film, but from there was when he finally became the star he is today. Releasing hit-films such as 2009 and cinema's biggest success, "Avatar", Worthington has proven himself a quality actor. Not an actor Oscar-worthy per-say, but certainly one that you can enjoy watching in just about any movie he's in. In Man on a Ledge, Worthington leads the film as, well, the man on the ledge. Sam is strong in the role and definitely keeps the character interesting, but his Australian accent slipped on more occasions that I can count on both my hands. Worthington does that in most his films, but in this movie he kept the accent down for the most part but whenever a scene was intense through dialogue and the character had to yell something, it was one-hundred percent noticeable when the voice of the character changed. Other than that tidbit, Worthington continues to entertain pleasantly.

Jamie Bell plays Worthington's brother in the film, and accomplice. Giving the best performance in the film, Bell is probably the most entertaining character due to the stuff he has to go through in the film. His character is funny and keeps the energy moving, especially due to the chemistry he holds in the film with Genesis Rodriguez, who plays his sexy girlfriend, while sometimes annoying, keeps this energy moving as well. Both Elizabeth Banks and Ed Harris also contribute quite well to the movie, but the biggest thanks of all definitely goes to Jamie Bell. Sorry Worthington, but it was he who led the movie for me.

There are a lot of things a viewer can learn when watching Man on a Ledge. The first thing the film teaches is that instead of putting a 40 million dollar diamond back in a safe that requires facial recognition, fingerprint scan, and a security code to open, its much safer just stick it in your pocket. Another thing is that it is almost apparent that New York City buildings keep mattresses around just in case someone needs to a muffle an explosion. Oh, and if you're going to threaten to commit suicide, make sure you bring loads of cash to throw off the ledge. It helps! Man on a Ledge certainly contains a couple moments where you wonder why this or that just happened, the ones I just mentioned are an example of the many. This is one of those movies where you should probably turn your brain off before entering, or you'll regret it walking out.

Man on a Ledge, while not perfect, is a super fun movie that never lets go of its energy. While sometimes stupid and unbelievably corny, it fits the criteria and never loses the viewer's attention. Sam Worthington gives a good performance here, but we've for sure seen much better from him. Without the twisty concept filled with unbelievable plot development that is extremely well-done, Man on a Ledge would have been far from the movie that it was---and probably would of a been a jumping disaster. Try and see it for the fun...just make sure you bring some popcorn with you!

Thanks for the read!

-Written by Corey Wood