Skyscraper Movie Review

Skyscraper (2018)

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Written by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
A security expert must infiltrate a burning two hundred and twenty story skyscraper, when his family is trapped inside by criminals.

Verdict
This is a low rent Die Hard that hopes The Rock's charisma and the use of duct tape can overcome the shortcomings. They don't. There's a thin story present just to link over the top action scenes.
Skip it.

Review
We get a quick scene to set up The Rock's backstory. I find it difficult to believe he even survived. In the hospital he looks like he fell off a skateboard, not that he was at ground zero of an explosion. I also don't understand how the only damage he suffered was losing a leg, but I think that's a function of setting up a scene later in the movie.

I like The Rock, he made San Andreas (read my review) less bad, which is commendable.

The Rock is a safety evaluator, and his job in this movie is to evaluate a vanity project for a software developer who just wanted to claim the world's tallest building. The developer is also excited that he'll have the highest insurance premiums too.

Criminals are taking over the building. We don't learn why until much later. Once we learn why they are after the developer, I still didn't understand why the developer did what he did. Maybe the movie explains, maybe not, maybe I was distracted.

The setup to gain access the the super safe tower is cumbersome, but I suppose the point was to set up The Rock as a fall guy. There's a fight, and I was really disappointed when The Rock's prosthetic leg wasn't used as a weapon. The Rock's opponent had it in his hands and everything.
At the same time The Rock's family goes back to the tower because his son ate "bad candy." That's the best they could come up with.

The Rock has to save his family, he's a suspect, and shenanigans ensure. The movie really didn't leverage The Rock's charisma. While plenty of the scenes are over the top, the movie doesn't go far enough. This movie does have some levity. I don't understand the duct tape, but it's used a lot and even lamp shaded. I'm sure the developer will rebuild his tower for the sequel... I mean the prestige of having the world's tallest tower.