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New Release Birb: Skyscraper

Skyscraper
Starring Dwayne Johnson and Neve Campbell
Written and Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
US Release Date: 13 July 2018
My First Viewing: 12 July 2018

 There are a few things you will be guaranteed of during Summer movie season. Several superhero/comic book movies, a solid animation feature (usually from Disney/Pixar) and a Dwayne Johnson big budget action flick. Well, we've had Civil War and Incredibles 2, now Johnson gives us the trifecta with Skyscraper. 

 Johnson plays Will Sawyer, a former FBI assault team member who becomes a security professional after a negotiation-gone-wrong leaves him without his left leg. He is trying to gauge the security system of The Pearl, a 220+ story building in Hong Kong which was developed by Zhao (Chin Han, The Dark Knight). However, there are some really bad men who are trying get their hands on the Magic McGuffin that Zhao possesses, and it's up to Sawyer to save his family and Zhao before the entire building goes up in flames. 

 Johnson knows his niche, and this falls well within that. For every moment of tension in this action-packed thrill ride, there are also moments where you look at the screen and wonder to yourself "wait, he's doing this with a prosthetic leg?" If done well, you can go into any movie like Skyscraper where you can turn your brain off and just enjoy it for what it is. You don't have to go far into Johnson's filmography to see that. Compared to Rampage, which came out earlier this year, this is a much better film that has an easy story to follow along with, and believable tension to mix in with some of the unbelievable action set pieces. 

 If you are planning on seeing this movie, see it on the best screen you can find, but if you're prone to motion issues of any kind, I'd suggest not seeing it in 3D. If you're looking for a getaway from reality this weekend, Skyscraper doesn't overstay it's welcome.  

 Skyscraper is rated PG-13 for action violence and brief language. What were your thoughts on the film? Follow me on facebook and instagram and let me know what you think.

-birb

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