Skyscraper – Review

Skyscraper – Budget of $125 million – 1 hour and 42 minutes

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Zhao has created The Pearl.  The largest, self-sustaining structure in the world.  It is 3200 feet tall, with 2 helix turbines for power, and an observation deck that will become the 8th wonder of the world.  The lower levels are open but soon he hopes to open the residential section.  In order to do that, he wants a third party opinion of the building’s security.  Zhao’s security member Ben recommends Will Sawyer.  Ben and Will were on the same hostage negotiation team when both men were injured 10 years ago.  Now, Will has a wife Sarah and twins, Georgia and Henry, and a small business.  While he is nervous about his presentation, Sarah reassures him that he is prepared.   Will informs Zhao that the building is sound but he can not give a full review until he inspects the offsite facility.  Zhao gives him a tablet with facial recognition. With the tablet, he will be the only person who can access the facility.  Zhao instructs Ben and Will to visit the facility immediately for the final assessment.  On the way, someone tries to steal Will’s tablet but fail.  Will calls to check on his family and finds out that Henry got sick so they came home early.  Then Will looks at the TV and sees The Pearl on fire below his family’s floor.  He has to get to them but the terrorists need his tablet to get what they truly want.  When the terrorists stop the fire suppression system, Will must do anything and everything to save his family.

This high action drama gives a 3-minute overview of Sara and Will love story and then jumps to the present day.  Then the specs for The Pearl are given in a flash.  These details are 100% important for the rest of the movie, so don’t be late.  Once the movie is set up, every moment has action and cliffhangers.  You will be shocked with every obstacle that stands in Will’s way.  In one scene, each member of his family is stuck in a state of peril while be surrounded by fire.  And Will has to get to each of them.  But Sarah sets this movie apart.  As a military sergeant with 3 tours of duty, she doesn’t hide in a corner with her kids and waits to be saved.  She fights, shots, and thinks her way out of every situation.  And when she sees Will is being fingered as a possible terrorist, she is there to set the record straight.  See this movie in Dolby or IMAX to get the full effect of the height and visual effects.  Unless you are scared of heights or get motion sick.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

Light a man’s house on fire and see what he loves the most – Kores

Got any duct tape – Will

You need a shower – Sara

I’m a King – Georgia

It sucks – Henry

Welcome to Heaven – Zhao

Ready to meet the Wizard – Ben

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Searching – Review

Searching – Budget Unknown – 1 hour and 42 minutes

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David Kim sits at home and watches videos of his daughter Margot and his late wife Pam throughout the years.  Later he calls Margot to find out when she is coming home and chastises her for not taking out the trash.  Then he gets a call from his brother Peter to ask about Pam’s recipe.  During the night, Margot attempts to call him twice and FaceTime him once.  He misses all 3 calls.  The next morning he attempts calling and texting all day long but to no avail.  He finds some relief when he learns that Margot was invited on a camping trip with little to no cell reception with Isaac and friends.  However, that relief is short-lived when Isaac calls and says Margot never went on the trip.  Now David is faced with the horrific reality that Margot is missing.  He files a missing person report and Det. Rosemary Vicks is assigned to the case.  She says they can handle the groundwork but he can help by talking to all of Margot friends and looking at her online presence.  David remembers Margot left her laptop at home and starts a search that will lead him to wonder: what is the definition of “friend” today, can anyone be trusted, and did he really know Margot?

This story is told through the everyday screens we use like Unfriended (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  However, Searching drives its viewer to have more emotional responses.    You will laugh, be genuinely concerned, and fill a pit in your stomach throughout this entire movie.  With so many screens in front of us, this movie proves we never really see each other.   Searching uses old technology to show Margot growing up and losing her mother.  And as you watch Margot grow up, the technology changes and gets better.  Within the first 5 minutes, you have an emotional connection to Margot through pictures, videos, and calendar posts.  So when she goes missing, you are worried for her safety.  You see the hurt, confusion, and panic on her father’s face as he looks through her contacts and calls the people she “friended” on Facebook.  You get pulled in and want to know what happened to her.  And like life, there are a lot of close calls that lead to more unanswered questions.  These unanswered questions provide the twist and turns that make this movie a thrilling mystery.  You won’t see this coming.  Searching is a great summer thriller that will gain a cult following.

4.5 out of 5 stars

You don’t always know your kids. And that’s not your fault – Det. Rosemary

Where is my daughter – David

I’m about to get in trouble, aren’t I – Margot

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