![]() Which, it should be mentioned, is on fire and full of terrorists. And push comes to shove, Johnson will painstakingly climb to the top of a massive construction crane and elude a Hong Kong SWAT team in order to sprint-leap into the 100th floor of a 225-story tall building. He will punch and kick and, if need be, throw a prosthetic leg at you. Put his wife and/or kids in harm’s way and watch the man spring into action. And nothing inspires a Johnson character to channel both of those things at once than the need to save his family. But the keystone of his persona is the ability to suggest that he’s somehow a salt-of-the-earth everyman and a pumped-up superhero, the kind of guy who’d have a beer with you in between steering busloads of orphans away from danger with his bare hands. He has crack comic timing, a preposterous amount of screen presence, acting chops – see: Pain and Gain (2013) – and a body that suggests he may have spent some time inside a gym. ![]() (Things he has not saved: the reputation of plaster casts as a durable item and that Baywatch flick.) An informal list of people, places and other miscellany that the man still known by many as “The Rock” has protected, defended and/or rescued: a young Polynesian woman, part of the Egyptian empire, ancient Greece, San Francisco, fellow video-game avatars, the World Wrestling Federation, the professional secrets of tooth fairies, a gang of internationally wanted outlaw street racers, Kevin Hart (numerous times), an albino gorilla, humanity, several franchises, the concept of the action hero specifically and movie stardom in general. It’s sort of his signature thing, really. Dwayne Johnson has another win at the box office.Dwayne Johnson saves. Skyscraper will entertain as long as you accept the premise. The big reveal won't blow your mind, but does fit neatly in the context of the story. The state of the art visual effects and production design sell the disaster gloriously. I firmly understand that only nerds like myself will see this connection.įrom Universal Pictures, Skyscraper is a vertigo inducing actioner for a global audience. It's just a bit funny to see him a decade later stuck in the same situation. Chin Han is a fine actor with a long and varied career. A friend slyly commented that the police should have turned on the bat signal when the building catches fire. I could almost imagine Batman swooping in to rescue the Sawyers and Zhao. In that film, the Chinese gangster - Lau, escapes Gotham City to a skyscraper in Hong Kong, only to be recaptured by Batman. Chin Han, who plays Zhao, had the exact same role in The Dark Knight. One aspect of Skyscraper does have unexpected humor. Skyscraper isn't quibbling about the details or logic. But that's the fun in a summer disaster flick. Granted, there has to be major suspension of disbelief. Thurber establishes tension early and skillfully keeps the blood racing throughout. ![]() The dizzying heights and ravenous fire are frighteningly realistic. Writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber ( We're the Millers, Central Intelligence) preys on instinctual fears. It's a cat and mouse game with a whole lot of fiery chaos raining down. Meanwhile, his family is running for their lives while being chased by Eurotrash bad guys. Then survive by his wits and trusty prosthetic leg. He has to get into The Pearl after the fire. Sawyer's mission is frenetic and harrowing. This adventure is deadly, but firmly in the PG-13 realm. Sawyer engages in gunplay, but isn't shredding bad guys and dropping f-bombs like John McClane. Skyscraper is not quite Die Hard meets The Towering Inferno. Sawyer must rescue his family, while repelling the bad guys and uncovering their true intentions. The building's safety systems are crippled. Just as the building is about to be certified, a sophisticated group of terrorists attack. Zhao has allowed Sawyer's wife (Neve Campbell) and children to stay in a luxury suite during the process. Sawyer's job is to inspect The Pearl for insurance companies. Dwayne Johnson stars as Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent turned security consultant who lost a leg in the line of duty. A Chinese billionaire, Zhao (Chin Han), is on the verge of opening the world's tallest building a glittering glass and steel behemoth called The Pearl. Skyscraper is a disaster thrill ride that's infectiously gripping. The poster of him leaping from the crane into the building was laughable. I must admit to being underwhelmed by Skyscraper's marketing campaign. While the film is completely different thematically, it has the same popcorn cinema elements that are so damned entertaining. Skyscraper is a worthy successor to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Rampage. Dwayne Johnson is the king of big-budget action spectacles.
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