Review of Empire State (2013) by Kevin W — 01 Jan 2014

There are typically two directions a movie that's based on a true story takes. The first, and more desirable option, is that the movie is captivating and entertaining. The second, and more common option which we have with Empire State, is that the movie is boring and fails to deliver any real entertainment value.

With this movie, it felt almost as if the film was building towards something that ultimately never came. Yes, the acting by Liam Hemsworth and Dwyane Johnson was solid but it's also difficult to enjoy a film where the protagonist isn't really a good person.

Sure, Liam's character was painted as a decent enough guy but when he constantly makes bad decisions left and right, he becomes tough to "root for". Also, the fact that they put Emma Roberts on the cover is just ridiculously misleading.

She is barely in the film at all, with probably 8-10 different characters having more screen time than she does. All in all, this story could have some potential to it but the movie just didn't execute it well at all.

While it's not a snooze fest or a horrible film, it is definitely not a really enjoyable viewing experience.