Skyscraper

A seamless action flick that I was happy to forgive. In fact, Skyscraper had the same effect on me as some of the (now so-called classic) Schwarzenegger or Stallone movies – they weren't always masterpieces, but those two gentlemen were the reason I enjoyed watching them every time, and the reason I enjoyed those movies. Dwayne Johnson is cut from the same cloth this time around. He's charismatic, tough, you root for him even when you know everything is going to turn out well; you have fun. I especially appreciate that after crap like Jumanji, Rampage, and San Andreas, Johnson is in something that isn't completely goofy or parodic, but that takes itself seriously within the genre of expensive B-movies, and only occasionally lightens things up with humor. Plus, there's the cool idea of the protagonist having a prosthetic leg, which he makes use of a lot, and the crane scene, for example, is so over the top it's excellent (Jablonsky's music stands out during this one, as it does elsewhere as well; though simple and routine, it adds atmosphere). I wasn't expecting much and I am satisfied. (14/08/2020)

Very silly, but very entertaining. There’s something happening all the time. The Towering Inferno crossed not only with Die Hard but also with Mission Impossible, with the only difference that, where Tom Cruise had sticky gloves, the muscle-bound Rock uses Scotch Tape and a curtain drawstring. Skyscraper is simply a solid popcorn movie that doesn’t require you to think very much. I awarded it a fourth star for the visual aspect and the amazing aerial shots. (16/12/2018)

It's OK. And I didn't expect more than OK. Dwayne Johnson tries it without humour this time and plays on a serious note and he's quite good at it. It's actually just as goofy as most of his films, but similarly flushingly entertaining. In the end, Skyscraper is a lot closer to The Towering Inferno than it is to John McClane's action flicks, but jumping on a giant building, scaling ledges hundreds of feet off the ground, and escaping from a raging fiery inferno certainly doesn't get boring. Rawson Marshall Thurber is a solid craftsman, and he's made sure that there's always something going on in his new release, so you won't have much time to think about how silly the whole thing is and how it doesn't make any sense at all. Too bad about the weak villains and how blatantly unambitious the film is. But as a summer filler between Ant-Man and the Wasp, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and another Mission: Impossible, Skyscraper works just fine. (27/07/2018)

Truly a B-movie version of The Towering Inferno inspired by Die Hard. It just doesn't follow the rules (let alone match the quality) of either of those films. Not even remotely. The filmmakers even go against the basic cornerstone of such movies, in which the main character must be someone convincing, “an ordinary person" à la Harrison Ford (among others) in the nineties. In other words, who is the most suitable person to do the job than the only living superman whose acting tries to give the impression of an average father and family man. Not only does this flirt with consciously being a guilty pleasure, but it never fully accepts this aspect. Its advantage is that with it's stupid, straightforward and eye-catching CGI, the viewer tends to press the buttons on the remote control with their thumb during the jumping scenes, so it's undeniably fun... Well, no, rather it's not boring, not for a moment, which is actually the best possible testimonial for this average consumer nonsense along the lines of “turn off your brain and watch it once." (02/09/2020)

The Rock is trying to save his family in the midst of a fire in the biggest skyscraper in the world, and a group of terrorists are in his way. The movie is much more The Towering Inferno than Die Hard, which bummed me out a bit, but you can never have too many disaster movies. It may be silly, but that jump off the crane scene is one of the best the film has to offer, even at the cost of being very over the top, but it's a movie, so why not. It keeps the pace, there's no shortage of tension, there are a few fights, The Rock has incredible charisma, and visually it's just okay. As a summer blockbuster, it meets the criteria and I enjoyed it. 70% (15/07/2018)