Red wire? They're all red wires!

Man on a Ledge

(2012)

An enjoyably far-fetched premise that delivers surprisingly effective thrills for the first two-thirds. But then it turns so bat-shit dumb and reliant on such utterly implausible circumstances for plans to succeed that any lingering suspension of disbelief is destroyed. Disgraced cop Sam Worthington (surprisingly okay, but he can't disguise his Oz accent) climbs out on a ledge and threatens to jump while his brother (Jamie Bell) begins a robbery just a little way down the street.

The scenes on the ledge are well-sustained, and Worthington and negotiator Elizabeth Banks spark off each other. The heist sequences are also quite fun, even if the banter between Bell and buxom Genesis Rodriguez is fairly puerile.

There is also a solid supporting cast on hand, including Titus Welliver, Ed Harris and William Sadler. In the end, though, director Asger Leth's delivery is superior to his material, and the last half hour piles daft development upon daft development until we reach a hilariously cartoonish showdown scene with the villain.

***

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Now In Full Color, with a Happier Ending

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