Review of Man on a Ledge (2012) by Wade W — 15 Jul 2012

Man on a Ledge. What a troubled little production. The question many people ask is âHow can a movie possibly be any good when itâ(TM)s about a guy on the ledge of a building that lasts an hour and a half?â? The truth is, you donâ(TM)t have to ask that question, because a movie about a guy on a ledge that lasts an hour and a half really isnâ(TM)t any good. Thatâ(TM)s pretty much the premise in a nutshell. Everyone and their brother try to get the guy off of the ledge before going splat on the streets below. The lead character, Nick Cassady, is played by Sam Worthington, who does a mediocre job, at best. The man is out to prove his innocence, and wonâ(TM)t stop until he succeeds.

From start to finish, the film feels empty. Itâ(TM)s all filler. Police are talking to each other, trying to figure out how on Earth to compromise with the guy, meanwhile, Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), tries to get inside of his head, while never really giving up on him. The chemistry between these two characters is one of the only redeeming qualities of the film. It makes for some interesting dialogue, but thatâ(TM)s about it. There isnâ(TM)t a whole lot of emotion in the film at all, among anyone. The story is straightforward and itâ(TM)s simply a drag. A bore fest. Thereâ(TM)s a little action and some decent stealth scenes, but itâ(TM)s all too mild mannered to actually be cool. The film really lacks substance and purpose, making it hard to cheer for. There just isnâ(TM)t enough here to make it worth your while. Itâ(TM)s all just too laid back. The actors all seem lazy and bored. The ending is especially silly, with gunshots going in different directions, along with some terrible acting jobs on everyoneâ(TM)s part. I was skeptical going in and it turns out my gut was right. Man on a Ledge was exactly what I thought it would be. A lackluster production.