Review: Skyscraper: Mediocre blockbuster that just about get's off the first floor with the help of Dwayne Johnson

After a two week summer break from the big screen, I was looking forward to catching the latest B movie blockbuster from the ever watchable and dependable Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson whose M.O. in Hollywood seems to be to rescue a weak plot and over the top action thriller with his unmistakable charisma and likability and in this latest Rawson Marshall Thurber (who previously worked with the Rock on Central Intelligence) directed big budget blockbuster Skyscraper the pattern  remains the same.
Skyscraper tells the tale of former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader Will Ford  (Dwayne Johnson) who now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he is being framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family, who are trapped inside the building, above the fire line.
Promoted as some kind of modern day Die Hard, this high octane action thriller is a much inferior model to the Bruce Willis classic with the charm of the leading actors the only thing common to both films.
Poor writing, over egged performances and cliches aplenty are on show here with the explosive effects expected to paper over the usual cracks that appear in these summer blockbuster movies. Sadly even the monstrous visual effects are at times guilty of falling short as the over reliance on CGI is plain for all to see and with the inevitable race to a bigger, louder and bolder blockbuster a constant thread in modern day Hollywood a lot of these movies tend to sink to farcical levels both visually as well as thematically.
There is one shining light in this lacklustre production however and that is the consistency and appeal of Dwayne Johnson who despite some horrific projects (and this is no exception) always seems to come out smelling of roses.
Overall, a fairly mediocre ninety minutes plus of blockbuster mania that will please Dwayne Johnson fans yet achieve litter more than that.
✷✷1/2