Man on a Ledge *** (PG-13)

Mark Glass | Jan 30, 2012, 12:55 p.m.

Man on a Ledge

For a script with a truly ridiculous premise, this action drama is so skillfully shot and paced, that you’ll be fully engaged throughout, and won’t realized how far-fetched everything has been until you’re on the way home. Sam Worthington plays a cop who was convicted of stealing a valuable diamond, escapes from prison, then stages a ridiculously elaborate scheme to prove he was framed, and nail the real baddies what done it.

That puts him on ledge of a Manhattan Hotel, playing to the street crowd and TV audience, while the cops (mainly Elizabeth Banks and Ed Buns) try to talk him down. Meanwhile, his brother and the babe he’s dating are doing an improbable high-tech heist, while all eyes are on Worthington. Chalk this one up to an adrenaline charge, rather than intellectual stimulation. On that level, it works just fine. If you’re thinking too much, you’re missing the fun. (1/27/12)