Skyscraperfollows Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson), a retired FBI agent and security advisor, as he frantically works to save his family from the towering inferno that is The Pearl, a mixed used development project in Hong Kong that ascends some two hundred stories into the clouds.
Reminiscent of the B-movies of the seventies, Skyscraper follows a predictable plot, placing our lead protagonist into an impossible situation, allowing him to earn the audience’s praise as he twists and turns his way out. You should be aware of just how the film will end some fifteen minutes in, but somehow the film offers just enough variety to keep you hooked.
This all being said, Skyscraperis in no way a “bad” film. Though it won’t win any award, that’s not its purpose (or the purpose of any Dwayne Johnson film for that matter). Its mindless, senseless and altogether unrealistic plot screams summer blockbuster; while it isn’t anything remarkable, it is entertaining. Guys will enjoy Johnson’s tough guy approach as he kicks ass while trying to protect his family. But the ass kicking isn’t just left for Johnson. Women will be more than pleased at the grit and power in Neve Campbell’s performance, trading in the typical “damsel in distress” stereotype for one of independence and self-defense.
Writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber is known for his comedies, but he successfully transitions to the world of action with this film. Crafting characters that garner your interest, you find yourself wrapped up in the energy of the story, even if you already know how its all going to end. Granted you’ll quickly loose that connect once the credits begin to roll, but for popcorn flare of this nature, that is to be heavily expected.
Johnson has found his niche in regard to summer action hero. While Skyscraperis a far cry from The Fate of the Furious, his ability to find the loudest, craziest, and to a degree, the most unrealistic film of the summer and make it entertaining should not be ignored. His pairing with Campbell helps to complete the film’s package, giving audiences exactly what they would expect, nothing more, nothing less.
