There are many films that fail to leave any sort of impression on an audience but still manage of be entertaining. In the case of "Man on a Ledge," there is enough quality to please the viewer and leave them satisfied. The movie does fall short of its goal to be a thrilling, exciting experience; however, it isn't completely scorn-worthy.
Sam Worthington left an incredible impression on the world of cinema when he starred in the James Cameron sci-fi hit, "Avatar." Worthington has more than proven himself to be a stupendous actor. It comes as a surprise that such a hot-ticket actor would agree to partake in a lackluster thriller like "Man on a Ledge." Worthington's character, Nick Cassidy, was dull and undeveloped — but not because of Worthington's acting. He was given very little and managed to do what he could with the role.
The concept of a heist film has been overdone in the film industry, but "Man on a Ledge" made a small attempt at achieving some form of originality. I wish I could say that it was successful. Although the premise was initially intriguing, there wasn't anything about the film that really got my heart pounding. A small part of me was hoping the protagonist would just jump to his death. That would have at least been shocking. Instead, the film ended in a typically unrealistic way that left me feeling a bit unfulfilled.
Luckily, there was a pleasant amount of comic relief sprinkled throughout the movie that was both appropriate and genuinely amusing. Jamie Bell ("Jumper" and "The Adventure of Tin Tin") as Cassidy's younger brother and former soap opera actress Genesis Rodriguez as his sassy Latina girlfriend was a brilliant pairing. Their performance of a jewelry heist amidst their relationship-related bickering was both realistic and endearing. They were the characters I rooted for throughout the film because they actually managed to pull off some personality.
Overall, "Man on a Ledge" is the type of movie someone rents on a lazy day out of curiosity. Seeing it at home will lead to much less disappointment than venturing off to the theater on what should be an exciting Friday night.
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