Man on a Ledge Reviews

Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of this movie. I mean, with only the name and the poster, I already knew before even watching it that it would be a really preposterous thriller. Still, there was something quite appealing about the concept. Indeed, how can you build up a thriller when you character is stuck on a ledge during the whole duration? Well, their answer was to have a standard heist accross the street but, when I think about it, it was actually more or less cheating as you got basically two stories to compensate the fact that the main character couldn't do much, except looking at his feet and shouting to the crowd. Honestly, did they really need him up there to pull up the heist? I highly doubt it. Still, the cast was decent, except for Elizabeth Banks who was rather miscast. I mean, I always had a weak spot for Banks, she is really charming but that might have been the issue, she still looked too damned nice to be a tough cop negotiator and her performance was rather weak. Still, I have to admit it, it was actually quite fun to see all these completely non-sensical scenes coming one after the other and, each time, I was wondering what kind of weird decisions they would take to move on the plot. To conclude, my rating might be too generous here but I thought it was a mildly entertaining flick and I guess it might be worth a look but don’t expect anything really amazing.

Like Contraband, this is better than what you'd expect from a January release but, that doesn't excuse the movie's problems. The premise is intriguing, and that's why I wanted to check this movie out for myself even though it got such negative reviews. It's not as bad as the reviews lead you to believe, but had this movie been better executed, it would have been a winner.

I'll admit, the movie was enjoyable and pretty good up until the end. The ending is not The Devil Inside bad, but it's as if the filmmakers didn't know how to end everything. It didn't fit with the movie's overall tone, and left a few things unresolved. There was a lack of suspense. Not once was I on the edge of my seat or biting my nails. I cared more about the secondary characters than the main character himself. Part of it was because he wasn't that developed, so I could care less, and also, Sam Worthington's dull performance didn't bring much life into the character that it desperately needed. With all these downs there are an equal amount of ups.

I liked the premise, it was interesting and a little different, despite it not being executed well. Sure there wasn't much suspense but, the movie was fun and entertaining up until the last ten minutes or so. The cast, besides Worthington, was good. The two that stuck out the most were Jamie King and Genesis Rodriguez. All the funniest lines came from these two, and they were the only two people I cared about. They made mistakes that normal human beings would, and though they would have great ideas, they didn't always execute them perfectly. These two were probably the best thing about the movie.

The dialogue wasn't really anything special but it wasn't bad either. The story and plot are completely ridiculous and somewhat bring this movie down. I mean, no shit this is a movie but this isn't a fantasy either, nothing like this would ever happen in real life. Some of the things that happen in this movie are completely preposterous and takes away from the movie a bit. There was no real sense of danger, obviously that's a result from the lack of suspense but I never feared for the guy and you can pretty much predict what's going to happen from the get go. Which makes this whole movie seem pretty pointless.

Overall, the nice secondary characters, the good acting(with the exception of Worthington), particularly from Jamkie King and Genesis Rodriguez, and the intriguing premise ultimately save this movie from being a total crapfest. If you truly have nothing to do then this wouldn't be a bad thing to pass the time, but other than that it's really not worth pursuing due to the lack of suspense, implausible plotlines, and a pretty disappointing ending.

First of all, here is the problem with certain Hollywood action-thrillers similar to Man On A Ledge in this generation – they look creative in terms of filming and direction, but they seriously lack both the action and the suspense that keeps the audience’s attention from start to finish. Unfortunately, Man On A Ledge had already given a rather weak first impression due to the very lazy and corny title, but the cast from the likes of Avatar star Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, child-actor Jamie Bell and Oscar nominee Ed Harris added a little more interest and sophistication into the film. Nevertheless, the easiest way to describe Man On A Ledge is simply the same as the title: a boring, un-interesting and empty film that is easily forgettable.


Considering that Man On A Ledge does have its numerous flaws, there were certain moments where it does deserve credit. For example, it begins very quickly and immediately gives us the scheming nature of Nick Cassidy as he sneaks into a top-floor hotel room by posing as somebody else. Therefore, the film simply cuts to the chase and gets the story underway preparing us for more suspense and more dialogue. However, although the direction by Asger Leth had similar Nolan-like concepts, Man On A Ledge still served as a film with no meaning and after the first 5 minutes, there were no added excitement or suspense.


Well, everybody recognizes Sam Worthington in his roles in films such as Terminator Salvation, Clash Of The Titans, its sequel and most of all – James Cameron’s Avatar. Following these films, Worthington has revealed that he can either be really impressive or absolutely atrocious. However, he gave a rather mediocre performance in Man On A Ledge as Nick Cassidy. Worthington’s role was not really anything at all. Upon learning Cassidy’s background story, the character and performance does not engage in any emotional connection and simply does not make him a threat. Thus, Worthington can pull off stronger performances in better films, but Man On A Ledge was a huge miss for him. Elizabeth Banks portrayed negotiator Lydia Mercer in a role that is an almost typical love interest that we have seen time and time again. Furthermore, Jamie Bell performed as Worthington’s on-screen brother Joey Cassidy and Ed Harris makes an appearance too.


Overall, Man On A Ledge was, as predicted from the very flat title, a meaningless and shallow film that does have its one or two strengths but is still easily forgettable. It could have been a much better film with a more sophisticated director and screenwriter, especially within the genres of action, horror or thriller. The actors and some of the other crew members simply need to just write this one off as an experience and move on to make stronger projects in the upcoming future.

"Man on the Ledge" a title that explains the crux of the movie. Anescaped convict Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) re-surfaces in an expensive Manhattan hotel, and suddenly steps out onto the ledge outside his window. It seems that Nick is intent on ending his life, but a series of curious decisions lead disgraced police negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) to discern that this mysterious jumper is actually a part of something much bigger.

That “something” involves Nick’s former life as a prominent NYPD cop who was convicted of stealing from ruthless businessman Deavid Englander (Ed Harris), and paid the price with a long prison sentence. With the help of his brother Joey (Jaime Bell) and Joey’s girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez), Nick tries to get justice for the supposed wrong done to him. But with a target on his head and the whole city watching, how does one desperate man find redemption?

A THRILLER to Watch

I'd advise against listening to, or reading the critics reviews on this, I went to see this expecting to be a little disappointed, but came out pleased that I did see this movie, it had a good story, good characters, and good twists to it. I've read a few things about critics criticising how they can have come with two bags loaded with everything they need, but I think to movies like James Bond type stories, and how they always seem to have the right items with them, and wonder why the criticism isnt places on movies like that, that are bound to always be hit movies. Anyways, this is a really good story, with some details about each of its members that makes it more interesting, and even some joking in the movie, I gave it 4.5/10 myself, go see it.