Although it did seem like it was going to be fairly derivative and it was not the best received of films critically, there was something that oddly interested me in seeing 'Skyscraper'. Have an appreciation for action/thriller films ('Die Hard' being one of the finest examples),the advertising didn't make one want to avoid it and Dwayne Johnson is a likeable enough guy, even if not the greatest of all actors.

'Skyscraper' did not strike me as a terrible film when seeing it. It does have a fair share of good things. It is also not a particularly good film either, it's pretty problematic with also its fair share of flaws. If there is one word to sum up 'Skyscraper' it would be watchable, another couple of words would be inoffensive and average. There is nothing really to be offended by, also not enough to be blown away by.

There are good things here. It is not a bad looking film, the photography is gritty and stylish and the scenery suitably formidable. There are some fun and quite incredible looking set pieces and stunts and an affectionate nod to 'The Lady of Shanghai' with the hi-tech mirror sequence.

Dwayne Johnson is a likeable and charismatic lead and Neve Campbell also turns in an above average performance. The music, while not exactly memorable, isn't too over-bearing and fits at least.

What lets 'Skyscraper' down is a story that does frequently get rather too silly and sometimes flabby, in the non-action and stunt scenes there is a lack of suspense and tension and it is very predictable and sometimes illogical. The script lacks tautness too and its lack of natural flow and cheesiness further hurts it. Not much brains or soul here.

None of the characters are properly fleshed out, with very cartoonish and flat adversaries which makes the threat neither sinister or urgent. Direction is uneven, coming to life in the action but losing momentum elsewhere. The editing could have been tighter too.

Overall, watchable but average. 5/10 Bethany Cox

SKYSCRAPER is another big-bucks Hollywood action flick, full of CGI effects work and fiery explosions. It was shot in Hong Kong with a Chinese supporting cast and a few old-timers showing up including SCREAM's Neve Campbell and villain regular Noah Taylor. The plot is literally DIE HARD meets THE TOWERING INFERNO, and given that those are two of my very favourite movies, I was eager to see this.

In the end, it turns out to be just as entertaining as I'd hoped for. Nowhere near the quality of the two films it rips off, of course, but as good as it could be in the circumstances. The Rock is an intensely likeable screen presence and his single-legged schtick is handled well. The various high-rise stunts are preposterous but surprisingly suspenseful in places. The lead villain is entertainingly imposing and the running time flies past with one twist and set-piece after another. As usual, things get a bit too CGI-dominated at the climax, with the best fight scene the early one in the apartment, but generally this is a perfect slice of turn-off-your-brain style fun.

Ten years earlier, FBI tactical unit leader Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is injured in a hostage situation. He is saved by his surgeon and future wife Sarah (Neve Campbell) although he loses his left leg. In the present day, he is hired by tycoon Zhao Long Ji who has just finished his record breaking skyscraper in Hong Kong. International terrorist Kores Botha has his own plans. The police are confused and suspects Will as a terrorist who started a fire in the new building. Will has to run from the police and the terrorists while trying to rescue his family trapped in the burning building.

This is trying to be Die Hard with a healthy dose of Fast and Furious. Unlike Die Hard, much of this is outrageous to the point of illogical. The action is over the top. The Rock is superhuman and quite frankly, Neve Campbell is Mrs. Superhuman. I can live with the ridiculous action but I don't think the characters make sense. There is the really inconvenient switch placement in the blades of non-sense but why would the bad guys leave The Rock alone after capturing him and his daughter. Whatsup with the crazy Enter The Dragon room? These terrorists have all kinds of stuff. They should at least try some explosives on the door. This is far from Die Hard. It has no humor. It's not even trying to be funny. John McClane is a human being who gets hurt a lot. The Rock here is impervious and impregnable. That's this movie. It is hard to feel for non-human non-humorous impregnable characters.