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DVD review: “Man on a Ledge”

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“Man on a Ledge” effectively uses its high-rise setup to build tension and suspense for the first half of its runtime, but by the end, the action-thriller falls into tired cinematic cliches.

The debut feature from Asger Leth, who previously directed the gritty Haitian gang documentary “Ghosts of Cite Soleil,” the movie boasts an intriguing if unlikely premise.

Go-to action star Sam Worthington stars as Nick Cassidy, a former New York City policeman wrongly convicted of stealing a $40 million diamond from reptilian businessman David Englander (University of Oklahoma alumnus Ed Harris).

Imprisoned in Sing Sing, the ex-cop is a favorite punching bag among the inmates, and it seems everyone except his loyal former partner, Mike Ackerman (Anthony Mackie), has forsaken him.

When he is furloughed to attend his father's funeral, Cassidy gets into a fight with his brother, Joey (Jamie Bell), and then makes a daring escape.

A few days later, Cassidy checks into the historic Roosevelt Hotel, eats a fancy meal, wipes the room clean of fingerprints and then steps outside onto the narrow ledge 200 feet above midtown Manhattan.

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