Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Man on a Ledge

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Man on a Ledge – Opening January 27, 2012



As I’ve discussed previously, planned January releases, rather than expansion or spillover, can be dangerous. It’s not often that an Oscar contender emerges at the very beginning of the year, and therefore it’s fortunate that this looks like an entirely different kind of film which could well do January proud. Instead of getting a haircut, action star Sam Worthington seems to have been thinking about what kind of film might be best for the next stage of his career, and while I’m not sure that a non-action part in an action film makes total sense, this certainly looks like a jam-packed thriller. The cast is rather staggering, with Ed Harris as the Big Bad Guy, Elizabeth Banks as the negotiator trying to talk him off the ledge, Jamie Bell as one of his accomplices on the inside, and Kyra Sedgwick as a reporter. “Billy Elliot” star Bell was even decent in “Jumper,” so I have faith that he’s going to be better than he needs to be in this supporting part. The last Man on a Ledge movie I saw, “The Ledge,” wasn’t great, but I think there’s much, more going on here to make it into an exciting and invigorating concept. I’ve been waiting for Ed Harris to have a really good role since “Gone Baby Gone,” and so I’m pleased to see him in a part like this. There’s a strong possibility of incoherence developing in the course of the plot, but I think this has the makings of a strong January release.