Man on a Ledge
[youtube=http://youtu.be/YWSdm4K-9_0]
Tagline: You Can Only Push An Innocent Man So Far.
Welcome back to the semi-regular game of literal movie titles. Hankering after simpler times where you knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for? Snakes on a Plane? Cowboys & Aliens? Well, joining the club this week is Man on a Ledge. And that’s all you need to know.
Said man is Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), who must deal with Elizabeth Banks’ disgraced NYPD negotiator, Lydia Mercer, trying her best to talk him down. But guess what? The longer they’re on that there ledge, the more she figures out he may well have an ulterior motive. “You and I have a lot in common,” he says to her at one point, and the audience instantly knows they’ve seen this kind of movie before.
And if the critics are anything to go by, Man on a Ledge is destined to fall flat. “This cloddishly contrived suspenser is too busy to bore, but too farfetched to thrill,” slams Variety. “Unfortunately, this film doesn’t realize it’s a comedy,” notes the Village Voice, while Time Out New York reflects that “director Asger Leth crosscuts nimbly between Worthington’s high-altitude plight and the Mission: Impossible–style high jinks” before “the movie succumbs to its numerous contrivances.” Seems like the similar sounding titled — but utterly wondrous Oscar-winning documentary — Man on Wire is far more worthy of your time instead.
MORE: TIME’s full review of Man on a Ledge
NewsFeed’s Flicks Pick: There’s simply no contest: Liam Neeson’s career revival gathers pace and will rule the battle of the new releases. Besides, you really wouldn’t want to argue with him.