Skyscraper: 90+ minutes of bad dialogue, poor acting, and sweat-inducing drama.
Skyscraper isn’t a good movie, but it’s an addicting one. If things like character motivation and fluid plot are unimportant to you, then this may be the perfect flick. Where it lacks in craftsmanship and quality it makes up for it in adrenaline producing stunts.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character performs physics-defying stunt after stunt, literally hanging from a 240 story flaming building by his prosthetic leg or pinky finger multiple times. It’s crazy, but Will Sawyer (The Rock’s character) would do anything, including fight the Hong Kong police, Euro Terrorists, and inhalation, to save his wife and twin children.
Sawyer’s wife, played by the fabulous Neve Campbell, and their twin children accidentally find themselves trapped above the fireline forcing Sawyer to climb a mega crane and jump into the 100th story of the burning building.
It’s a classic Die Hard-esque (Ed’s note: how dare you compare Skyscraper to the objet d’art that is Die Hard) action movie and caters to thrill seekers. I don’t recommend 3D for most movies, but as long as you don’t suffer from vertigo the 3D is worth the 5 extra bucks. The vertical nature of the film is exacerbated ten-fold in 3D. I had to remind myself I was seated safely in my seat, and not atop of a burning building. While I was uneasy the majority of the movie, I left with a heightened feeling of adrenaline.
If the movie is a testament to anything it’s to The Rock’s trainer. Most of The Rock’s movies play on his ridiculous body and larger than life muscles, however, this one takes the cake. As the only reasonable explanation for The Rock’s survival is his superhuman physicality.
While the movie highlights The Rock’s physical appeal, it underserves his acting abilities. Johnson is one of the most likable actors in Hollywood and deserves a role more encompassing of his charms. Johnson can do comedy and this movie would fare better with more comedic breaks.
Overall, the movie met expectations. There was definitely something addictive about the anxiety-producing nature of the movie that I found myself drawn to. Would I watch it again? No. Did I enjoy watching it? Yes.