Can you smell what Dwayne Johnson is cooking? Probably not, due to the intense smoke and ash being scattered throughout his latest film, Skyscraper! With another big ticket film boasting the man formerly known as The Rock, it's another chance for fans to get their fill of the man's trademark blend of acting prowess, wry humor and action know-how! Also, it's a good time to rate and discuss what is surprisingly the only big budget project released in July to not to come out of a pre-existing property.
There have been a lot of varying reactions to Skyscraper, with critics of all stripes offering their two cents as to how well the film works. Our own Conner Schwerdtfeger added to the throng with the following evaluation, plucked straight from our official review:
Skyscraper isn't as good or exciting as the films that it pays homage to, but it's a refreshing change of pace to see a competently-made original summer action movie.
It's a thought that many seem to share, and one that will be put to the test as you, the reader, evaluates Skyscraper through your own critical lens! For starters, take a look at the discussion questions included below, keeping your answers to said questions in mind as you put together your thoughts for the comments at the end of this story:
Which Dwayne Johnson movie from 2018 do you prefer: Rampage or Skyscraper, and why so?Do the similarities between Skyscraper and Die Hard enhance or detract from your enjoyment of the film?Could Skyscraper be the next Die Hard style franchise?Who had the better plan: Hans Gruber or Kores Botha?Were you the least bit fooled about whether or not Sawyer's friend Ben was a traitor?Did they kill the Skinny Hacker too early, or just at the right time?Should Neve Campbell do more action movies after her performance in Skyscraper?Would you believe that this is a movie directed by the man who brought you Dodgeball: An Underdog's Story?
As you keep the answers to those questions in mind, we'd like to invite you to also rate your satisfaction with Skyscraper in the following poll! On the traditional scale of 0 to 5, 0 being an absolute fire hazard and 5 being a wall-scaling crowd pleaser, please tell us how you'd rate the film. Also, don't forget to share your rating with us, and any rationale as to why you rated the film as such, in your comments at the end.
This poll is no longer available.
The hard part's over, folks, as you've discussed and rated Skyscraper up to this point. As you exit the building, we'd like to give you some interesting news items to read over, should you be interested in learning a little more about the film. First off, if you're looking to find out if seeing the movie in 3D is worth it, we have a To 3D or Not To 3D guide ready for your perusal. Also, as this is admittedly a riff on the classic Die Hard formula, we had to ask Dwayne Johnson about what he feels a good Die Hard knockoff needs, as well as the mistakes that the faulty ones tend to make. Finally, you can read the thoughts of both Johnson and his Skyscraper director Rawson Marshall Thurber, as to how the film came to be set in Hong Kong, and why this was a good idea.
That's all for this instalment of Rate and Discuss, and we'll be back in two weeks to discuss a mission that's over the threshold of possibility, and the fallout it incurs.
