Man on a Ledge offers thrills despite shortcomings

First, I was totally floored that both my kids knew about "Man on a Ledge." And both wanted to see it.

In my son's case, I understand he's ditched the kiddie movies for anything with action and thrills. He's 15, though he still enjoys a good animated flick. My daughter, 11 going on 16, thought it would be suspenseful, "Just why is he up there?"

Since my kids aren't as discerning, they left thinking it was an awesomely thrilling movie with plenty of suspense and action. I'm gonna have to show them some more films from this genre. But I have to say, I didn't think it was bad. I'd say it was a bit better than average. I liked the acting for the most part. The storyline had many holes, obvious exaggeration (expected in this genre) and too much predictability (another problem of the genre). You know which supposed good guys are rotten way too quickly. But I still enjoyed much of the ride.

The movie starts with a mystery man (Sam Worthington) checking into a hotel. He has a lobster dinner and then climbs on a ledge. We quickly learn he's an escaped convict, ready to die to prove his innocence. He demands a female negotiator (Elizabeth Banks, who we learn failed her last negotiation, resulting in a dead cop. She's unliked by the force. This, he hopes will make him a spectacle, a distraction. You see, he needs time so his accomplice can steal what Mr. Convict was accused of stealing. Convoluted? Yes. And you might catch yourself rolling your eyes at some of the improbable situations.

However, despite holes in the story (and maybe it's because of them), it keeps a decent pace and has enough thrills and silliness to keep you fairly entertained for nearly 2 hours. Visually, it's griping. You feel the tension of the ledge. I give it C/C+.

I wouldn't call it a movie for the family, but I didn't find it offensive. I was OK with my kids (11 and 15) watching even though the subject is more grown up. You'd have to explain why a man is on a ledge and the consequences of such action. It's rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language. We talked about behaviors and actions - how this news was covered, the mob mentality, trust, risking life, etc., as well as what was realistic and what was way fantastical all for movie entertainment.

You should know that this will be way scary for sensitive and young kids, with a man on a ledge for much of the film. There's lots of gun fire, fighting, some language (not overdone, though), one character looks at though he will be pushed off the building, some mild sexuality (no sex scenes, but a woman is in her underwear), smoking, a heist, police scale down the building and struggle with the man, and some explosions.

Enjoy!