Man on a Ledge 4K Ultra HD Review

THE MOVIE — 3.25/5

Note: This review was originally published on May 22, 2012.

Man on a Ledge seems like a simple title for a simple movie. And it is. This is the kind of movie that you can’t quite turn your brain off but at the same time, you really can’t think about some of the plot points or else you’ll walk away noticing major plot holes and conveniences.

The story, told back and forth from past to present, follows Nick Cassidy (SAM WORTHINGTON), an ex-cop wrongfully convicted and sent to prison for 25 years for stealing a $40 million diamond which was never recovered but thought Cassidy cut into pieces to sell off. After losing is last appeal, things seem hopeless but opportunity knocks when his father passes away and while attending the funeral, he gets into a fight with his brother, Joey (JAMIE BELL), and in the chaos, pulls one of the guard’s guns and makes his escape. He stops by a storage unit readied with the necessary equipment and supplies.

He then goes to an upscale Manhattan hotel, eats a great breakfast and proceeds to step out onto the ledge where soon people on the ground take notice. Soon enough the NYPD is called in lead by negotiator Jack Dougherty (EDWARD BURNS). Before any chat can begin, Cassidy threatens to jump if negotiator Lydia Mercer (ELIZABETH BANKS) isn’t there within 20-minutes. Understandably perplexed, Dougherty calls Mercer in despite her present condition especially since her last attempt the jumper went through with the suicide, jumping off a bridge.

Upon Mercer’s arrival, she wants to know what he wants but as Nick tap dances around his apparent problems and psychological issues, something else is going on in a building nearby. You see, the fight between Nick and his brother was entirely staged (big shocker there) with Joey and girlfriend Angie (GENESIS RODRIGUEZ) setting up to break into a mogul tycoon’s building and steal the very diamond that Nick was accused of taking in the first place, thus proving his innocence and taking down the perpetrators who set him up which includes the mean tycoon himself, David Englander (ED HARRIS).

As Nick tries to establish some trust with Mercer and get her to believe that he was set up, over in the other building, Joey and Angie accomplish feats that even someone like Ethan Hunt would have trouble achieving, although to be fair, they’re hardly perfect and make a few mistakes to keep the suspense up. The writer tries to explain their incredible abilities stating they had been planning the heist for a year, but I can’t quite buy that; however, there are other conveniences which are hard to ignore.

Like Tower Heist before it, Man on a Ledge asks the audience to disregard plot contrivances and instead sit back and enjoy the ride. Now, unlike Tower Heist, the threshold for suspension of disbelief isn’t quite as high here, but at the end if you think short and easy about what unfolded, you can punch giant holes in the plot if you’re not careful. There’s also issue of convenience which I find a bit more annoying than plot holes. Without getting into too much, the end is tied up in a nice bow where you wonder how exactly it could happen the way it did.

But, despite the issues I had with plot holes and plot conveniences, Man on a Ledge is still a fun movie that nicely breezes by. It features some good performances especially from Sam Worthington; perhaps his best that I’ve seen as his previous efforts have been less than effective. Elizabeth Banks also turns in a nice performance showing once again that she’s a bit underrated while Jamie Bell, Edward Burns and hottie newcomer Genesis Rodriguez (who, btw, gets a gratuitous underwear shot) all are decent in their parts. Not sure what to say about Ed Harris only that his appearance is fairly minimal and the character is only there to be an evil son of a bitch (similar to Alan Alda’s role in Tower Heist).

Man on a Ledge was effectively and adequately directed by Asger Leth making his feature film debut after helming a documentary entitled Ghosts of Cite Soleil about Haiti. So Leth seems to be an odd choice for a factitious heist-thriller, but he manages to keep the suspense going evenly through until the very end, so on that front he does a commendable job.

All in all, Man on a Ledge is a well crafted suspense-thriller which, despite some of the problems with the plot, is still enjoyable and worth checking out especially on a slow night when you just want to watch something simple. I’m not prepared to say this is one of those movies you should turn your brain off to enjoy, but certainly when it’s over and begin to think about it more, it can be hard to ignore some of those plot holes.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.25/5

Not much here except a generic EPK featurette (15:17) and, in one of odder features I’ve come across, the Trailer with Commentary (2:32). Yep, we get some chatter by star Elizabeth Banks talking about the trailer. I think this was done at a press junket but I have to wonder why it was even included. Heck, the entire trailer without the commentary isn’t even available.

VIDEO – 4.5/5

AUDIO – 4.75/5

OVERALL – 3.75/5

Admittedly, the plot for Man on a Ledge is on the preposterous side with sizeable plot holes but given what it is and the cast gathered, I was still rather entertained. Sam Worthington is for once able to hold his own, albeit with a weaker script, and the supporting cast is impressive.