Skyscraper
(2018)Dwayne Johnson re-teams with his Central Intelligence director for this hostage action-thriller, set in Hong Kong's tallest building. Co-starring Neve Campbell.... More
Former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Ford (Johnson) now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in Hong Kong, Ford finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze with his wife and kids inside, and he's been framed for it. Ford must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family.Hide
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Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber ('Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story', 'We're the Millers', 'Central Intelligence')
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Pablo Schreiber, Roland Møller, Kevin Rankin, Adrian Holmes, Chin Han, Byron Mann
Written by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Flicks Review
BY Daniel Rutledge Flicks Writer
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson trying to save his family from paramilitary criminals in an enormous building they've set on fire should make for an amazing movie. Alas, it's watered down in that way most modern blockbusters are, but it's still crazy enough to be nicely entertaining.... More
Ever since the first poster of Johnson leaping to his doom was released, Skyscraper made clear that things like physics and reason weren't going to be important considerations, and this devil-may-care attitude extends to the plot. Like, Johnson's character is presented by news media as a criminal who started the disaster; but whenever he appears on public TV screens, the people of Hong Kong inexplicably cheer him on. Then at the end, perhaps in a nod to Hong Kong cinema, a huge crowd of strangers cheers The Rock on for several minutes straight, with the sort of over-the-top enthusiasm usually reserved for pop concerts. It's great.
Despite the extreme silliness, everything is played with an attempted seriousness that actually helps. There's no winky, Snakes on a Plane-style self-awareness here. It's genuine schlock. The combat-based action scenes are lacklustre, edited in a way where you can't see what's happening and certainly don't feel the hits. But the vertigo inducing sequences of sky-high spectacle are brilliant. Yes they're created with CGI and yes we know Johnson isn't ever in any real peril, because he's The Rock, but they're still very well done and make for an occasionally tense, sweaty palm watch.
A lot of credit should be given to the visual effects team, who have pulled off a lot of lovely tricks in Skyscraper - like the titular building itself, which is super cool in a wonderous, sci-fi kind of way. I do wish the film had more of an edge and decent fight scenes, but it delivers the low-level thrills the synopsis promises well enough to recommend.Hide
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Skyscraper
BY JackWallace superstar
BY Str33tsAhead nobody
Where the movie lost me is the absence of humour. While it wasn't an entirely serious movie, it was still... More more serious than I would hope from a movie with The Rock. The Rock is charismatic as all hell, but here he actually manages to overreach into territory he's clearly not the best at. His character was a generic, brilliant, family man, and lacked the charm & wit one would hope. Even Die Hard has plenty of charm & wit to it, despite never being considered a comedy.
Despite the lack of charm, and humour, the movie does deliver an otherwise entertaining (if a bit too long) movie. It continues the trend of Hollywood movies included Chinese actors to cater to that growing market, but thankfully they don't really feel like token characters, however I can't help but wonder why they wouldn't have just made his wife Chinese to help bridge that gap better. Despite what I've said, if you've watched San Andreas, and the trailers for this and thought it looks like your cup of tea, then it honestly probably is. It's an easy movie to sit through, just leave your expectations & brain at the door.Hide
BY adamatdramatrain superstar
Dumbing Up.
Ok, so, um... As DIE HARD is my all-time favourite Christmas movie, it's nice to see it being remade - for kids... and those with single legs... and bald people... and, um... Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's nice isn't he? Can't wait for him to be President... um... Hey, loved his song in MOANA, right?
You're welcome!
So, ok... It. Was. Fun. But if you, like me groaned with pain through the awfulness of RAMPAGE and its lack of self-aware humour, then get ready... More to grrrrrrrrrrooooooaaaaaaan again. Loudly.
The Rock. One legged. A skyscraper. Some generic Euro-baddies. Explosions. Fights. Happy resolution.
Seriously, I've seen DIE HARD like 15 times and yet it still manages to feel fresher, and far, far more fun than, um TALLBUILDINGER.
Yawn.
Is it just me or are all these big budget kid-friendly "The Rock" action blockbuster movies just blurring into one now??? ;)
Alternative titles that occured to me as I tried not to doze off:
DIE HOP
DIE HOP: DIE HOPPIER
DIE HOP: HOP HARD WITH A VEGAN
SKIDSCRAPER
ROCKHOPPER
SKYJOHNSON
etc...
Fans of RAMPAGE will love. Fans of Michael Bay style TRANSFORMERS 2 through 6 will love. Dwayne fans will love. Um... Me? I should have taken a sleeping bag or a book. And I say that as someone who has sat through and had fun with pretty much all the last three FAST & FURIOUSLY BALDING cartoons... I mean movies...Hide
Showing 3 of 3 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
One of the most idiotic action movies to come down the pike in some time. It's also a lot of fun if you're willing to go with it... Full Review
This is escapism, pure and simple, and though the structure is rickety, by enlisting Johnson, Thurber ensures that his "Skyscraper" is built on solid Rock. Full Review
Mr. Johnson... doesn't have to do all that much here, but as one of the last authentic monuments to he-man masculinity, he easily holds you rapt. Full Review
This is the sort of thing that requires classic Rock, not an experimental but-what-if-I-maybe-acted-like-this-was-Sophie's-Choice? Rock. Full Review
The building may be taller than The Towering Inferno and the stakes may be higher than those faced by John McClane in Die Hard, but in comparison to both, Skyscraper is little more than a cinematic bungalow. Full Review
If all this digital artifice accomplishes anything, it effectively heightens the irreducible flesh-and-blood realism of the movie's star. Full Review
Skyscraper is one of the stupidest movies I've seen since San Andreas, but I enjoyed it a great deal - more than San Andreas, certainly, as well as Rampage and Baywatch and most other Dwayne Johnson pictures. Full Review
The Rock rarely seems confident of being able to get out alive. But whatever happens, his sense of humour keeps reminding us that, behind the muscles, he's one of us. Full Review
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