- Review by Kaya Savas - 7/13/18
Skyscraper is the latest Dwayne Johnson vehicle and this time we see the action star playing a retired FBI agent who is now a security consultant for The Pearl. The Pearl is a new structure designed to be the world’s tallest building, incorporating businesses, apartments, and even its own ecosystem. When Will (Dwayne Johnson) is invited to bring his family to test the living area of the skyscraper, he finds himself tangled in a terrorist plot whose armed members are in search of something from its billionaire owner. The film sees director Rawson Marshall Thurber team up for the first time with composer Steve Jablonsky to deliver a solid action score that ends up being a giant dose of exciting summertime fun.
Skyscraper knows how ridiculous it is, it knows that seeing Dwayne Johnson as an amputee doing impossible stunts might garner eye-rolls, but the movie rolls with it In the best way possible. While the film never takes itself too seriously, it also doesn’t take itself as a joke. The tone of the film finds a great balance, and the narrative hits all the cliched plot points in its own special way. Jablonsky’s score manages to strike the right tone, and it never feels overly excessive. The electronic/orchestral hybrid score has some great melodic hooks that keeps the momentum moving forward. We get a nice mix of propulsive action, along with some tension sustaining moments. For Will and his family, Jablonsky adds his signature heroic warmth just ever so slightly without it ever being too melodramatic. There isn’t anything too complex here, but what we have is very balanced action writing that fits this movie like a glove.
Skyscraper is pure popcorn entertainment done right. Even though every beat of this story is predictable from start to finish (psst, the bad guys lose), the film is actually an enjoyable piece of brainless entertainment. The score helps cement everything together while never overdoing it, and it’s a solidly fun ride from start to finish. Jablonsky’s signature style is firing on all cylinders, and the score’s simple yet bold approach make it really effective.
- 4/5