[amazon_link asins=’B07F576MSM’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’moviegazett03-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6ccaa0f6-ca85-11e8-8608-d77fbf09043d’]A wanna be Die Hard mixed with elements of The Towering Inferno, Skyscraper seeks to promote Dwayne Johnson as Hollywood’s biggest action star. Unfortunately, while their are brief moments of excitement, Johnson’s charm and charism gets lost in an endless barrage of effects and jeopardy. There’s nothing terrible about it per se, but the plot is minimal, created to provide a framework for the action.

Security expert Will Sawyer (Johnson) has traveled to Hong Kong with his family–wife Sarah (Neve Campbell), daughter Georgia (McKenna Roberts), and asthmatic son Henry (Noah Cottrell) to evaluate “The Pearl,” a new 225-story tower. A former FBI hostage Team Leader, Will lost his leg during a mission gone wrong. Now, it’s his job to make sure that The Pearl meets all the requirements necessary to get an insurance policy. Unbeknownst to Will, he’s been set up as a dupe by his friend Ben (Pablo Schreiber), so when a fire breaks out on the 96th floor, not only is Will framed for the blaze, but he must rescue his family who are trapped inside the tower. To make matters worse, the fire suppression system has been damaged.

Predictable in every way, Skyscraper doesn’t hide it’s Die Hard inspiration, virtually duplicating a couple of scenes from the 1988 classic, but with less conviction. It’s a movie that doesn’t seem to want to be original. Given the lack of development given to Dwayne Johnson’s character, it’s as if the powers that be said, “Get Dwayne Johnson, think Die Hard…but not exactly.  Strangely, Johnson has shown personality to spare over the years, but Will Sawyer is flat and disconnected. While Skyscraper does provide a  few sporadic thrills, the warmed over premise, nor the uninspired performance of Dwayne Johnson are enough to carry the film.

Presented in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio, this 4K disc offers a strong image. Clarity is rather good, though some wider shots had a slight shake. The print flaws to be found. The color palette is produced convincingly throughout, given an obvious boost by the 4K capability. Blacks show an impressive amount of depth, and shadows are strong with a good amount of clarity.

The Dolby Atmos mix is impressive. The destruction and chaos is given lots of room to  spread out. The soundscape is truly enveloping. Everything blends together well and dialogue is never muffled or indistinguishable. Predictably, effects are the primary attraction here, but music sounds full and vibrant too. English, English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are included.

The following extras are available on both the 4K UHD disc and the included Blu-ray disc:

  • Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Rawson Marshall Thurber: In this running, screen-specific commentary, Thurber discusses the origins of the project, the development, the story, the characters, the characters, influences, the cast, and more. A fairly standard commentary, large for fans of the film.
  • Deleted Scenes with Commentary By Writer/Director Rawson Marshall Thurber (SDR, 12:07) Five in total.
  • Extended Scenes with Commentary By Writer/Director Rawson Marshall  Thurber (SDR, 10:17) Five in total.
  • Dwayne Johnson: Embodying A Hero (SDR, 4:04) Go behind the scenes with Dwayne Johnson to find out what it took to bring Will Sawyer to life.
  • Inspiration (SDR, 4:12) Members of the cast and crew, including motivational speaker Jeff Glasbrenner, discuss the decision to make Will Sawyer an amputee.
  • Opposing Forces (SDR, 2:35) The female characters of Skyscraper get to show how they got into the action.
  • Friends No More (HDR, 3:21) A look at the fight sequence between Dwayne Johnson and Pablo Schreiber.
  • Kids In Action (HDR, 2:40) A look at the young actors in the film Noah Cottrell and McKenna Roberts.
  • Pineapple Pitch (HDR, 1:38) Dwayne Johnson describes the ‘unique’ way Rawson Marshall Thurber pitched him the idea for
  • Blu-ray
  • Digital Code