Ever since I saw the trailer for Skyscraper, I knew it was a movie I had to see as Dwayne Johnson was on a roll with hit films such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Rampage. While I missed my chance in theaters, Universal was kind enough to send over a 4K HDR Blu-ray to review, and just like the previous films I mentioned, it’s another hit for Johnson as it features one of his best (if not his best) roles yet.
Turns out I’m not alone as Travis Seppala enjoyed the movie too, and you can head over to his review for all of the plot details and his thoughts on the film while I go into mine here. Right off the bat, I knew I was in for a different take on the Die Hard film franchise, and I wasn’t far off as the plot and setup plays out a lot like the famous first film. Dwayne Johnson gives us one of his best performances yet as a father willing to risk it all for his family, even if it means bringing up painful memories and demons from his past.
The best thing about watching this was seeing it in 4K with HDR color, making every visual detail and color pop off the screen. This combined with the Dolby HD audio made for a thrilling experience every time the action heated up (both figuratively and literally) on screen with Johnson’s character overcoming problems and danger as best as he can to get to his family.
There’s a couple of extras to watch after the fire settles down, starting with audio commentary from writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber who talks about the production of the film and other anecdotes that happened while filming. You can also listen to his optional commentary on some deleted and extended scenes that are actually pretty cool, but were cut sadly.
Lastly there’s some featurettes that go behind the scenes of the film and characters, especially Johnson capturing what it means to be a true, believable hero for the movie and more.
Those looking for a fun and thrilling action flick for their 4K setup will want to take in the incredible high-rise view of Skyscraper. The action is well paced and intense in all the right places, and believable characters both good and bad bring an adventure worth making the climb for.