Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, McKenna Roberts, Chin Han, Pablo Schreiber, Noah Taylor, Roland Møller, Noah Cottrell
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Release date: 12th July 2018
Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is an ex-FBI Hostage Rescuer and soldier, who after a horrific incident 10 years previous, now wears a prosthetic leg. He has his own company and checks security measures for a living. He gets a job in Hong Kong, through his old FBI mate, Ben, and the job is to test the security on a building, the tallest one in the world named The Pearl. His family is moved into the building while he’s doing the job and he sets to work. Unfortunately there are dark forces operating and Will soon finds himself right in the middle of an attack that will endanger many lives. Why would anyone want to attack this amazing, futuristic building, and what are they after? Will must use all his skills and put his life on the line to save his family from imminent death. There’s also the fact that he has been framed for the crime to deal with…
I don’t think I know anyone that doesn’t like Dwayne Johnson. He’s just one of those truly likeable guys. Good guy, great dad and great husband.
The film is extremely ‘Die-Hard-y’ but that’s no bad thing. It has everything you could want from an action suspense movie in spades. The constant references to gaffa/ duct tape are pretty funny and give the film that ever so slight comedy angle. The film itself though is far from comedic with edge of your seat suspense and surprises left right and centre. You always need to have a really great baddie in movies like this, and Kora Botha, played by Roland Møller is menacing and driven. His ultimate goals are not revealed til quite a bit into the film and they are not exactly what you expect.
I think this movie will appeal to a very wide demographic; it’s not just a blokey movie. It has everything; family, explosions, fire, suspense, imminent peril, determination, lots of baddies,punch ups, The Rock beating the crap out of the baddies but also taking a beating aswell. Watch out for the bit where he is literally holding a bridge together, like a boss.
A great summer blockbuster, go and see it with your mates/ family/ girlfriend/ boyfriend and enjoy it for what it is; Pure escapism.
Overall: 8.5/10
