Limited action on a ledge

The problem with committing to a gimmick is that once you do, you’re stuck with it.

“Man on a Ledge” is, on the whole, not a terrible movie. It fulfills most of the checkpoints of a successful action/suspense movie: car chase, manipulative villain, shootout on a roof.

Check, check and check.

Yet, its central theme — that of a man, you guessed it, standing on the edge of a building — limits its ability to draw suspense.

The concept works well at first. Escaped convict Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) publicly threatens imminent suicide to serve as a distraction while his brother (aided by his attractive girlfriend) attempts to prove Cassidy’s innocence.

However, by the climax of the film, the concept grows tired. The main protagonist is static and provides only a backdrop for the main action.

“Man on a Ledge” is entertaining but predictable and draining. Its very thesis holds it back from being the action movie it clearly wants to be.