• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
• Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
• Region: A (Region-Locked)
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 102 Mins.
• Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Blu-ray Release Date: May 29, 2012
• List Price: $30.49

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Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Film
[Rating:2/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)

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The Film

[Rating:2/5]

Man on a Ledge tells the story of ex-cop Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington). Having escaped from protected security, Nick has a plan for a heist that will certainly get his name back on the map. The plan? To steal a $40M diamond from David Englander (Ed Harris), a businessman known for his ruthless tactics. Not only does Nick want this diamond for obvious reasons, but he also plans to prove his innocence. In order to do this, Nick enlists his brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) to help extract the diamond, all while Nick creates a distraction by….wait for it…standing on a ledge.

I had high hopes for Man on a Ledge as I’m a fan of Sam Worthington ever since Avatar. The premise seemed interesting, while the supporting cast looked solid (particularly Ed Harris, who just may be one of the more underrated actors of recent times). Well, the end result is that this is a somewhat entertaining film, but the plot had  far too many holes in it (most of which were never answered). The biggest one involves how the filmmakers seemed to use the ledge angle to waste time and to add sense of tension to the movie, as the non-ledge moments were quite lackluster. I don’t blame any of the actors involved (especially not Harris, who just seems to add a sense of style to his performances). Moreover I place the blame squarely on Writer Pablo F. Fenjves. His dialogue is bland, lifeless, and lacks any real punch, desire or emotion.

In the end, outside of the viewer who enjoys your most basic thriller, I can’t really give a strong recommendation this film.

Video Quality

[Rating:5/5]

The film’s 2:40:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer is excellent. Shot using a variety of Panavision Arriflex Cameras with Primo Lenses on Super 35mm (3-perf) Fuji Fuji Eterna Vivid 500T 8547, Eterna 250T 8553, and Eterna 250D 8563 film stocks, this transfer is one of the best I’ve had the opportunity to review this year. From the opening moments where steps out on the building’s ledge, this transfer makes itself known. Detail is rock solid throughout, particularly that of close-ups. Whether facial texture, or contrast levels, detail exceeds any expectation we may have had for it. Blacks, dominant at times, are handled well with no notice of crush. Noise and other anomalies are absent. All in all, this is a fine effort from the folks at Summit.

Audio Quality

[Rating:4.5/5]

The film arrives with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, which is almost as excellent as the aforementioned video. Dialogue is well reproduced throughout. The Manhattan locale adds in to the film’s atmosphere giving us a wide range of effects. Police sirens, background character dialogue, or the initial prison fight are prime examples of just how well this track handles both high and low activity. LFE is fairly active, mostly during the heightened gun fights; however, is quieter than one may expect. Rear activity is immersive and pans between rears are invisible all but helping to throw us right into the middle of the action. Akin to the video transfer, this is another great effort from Summit.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:1/5]

The provided supplements are shown in HD:

• “The Ledge” – Running 15:17 in length, this feature glances into how the ledge moments were filmed. In particular, we get to see the huge 80 foot crane that was used to film some of the numerous wide angled shots used throughout the movie.
• Trailer with Commentary by Elizabeth Banks – While I believe (??) this is the first time a trailer has been given a commentary, this still is a completely dull feature devoid of any real merit.

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:3/5]

While Ledge may not be the best thriller, the film may still be worth a watch to those who like cheap thrills. Summit, as one has come to expect, has delivered a first-rate technical presentation for this Blu-ray. I’d say this best stands as a evening rental.

Additional Screen Captures

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Purchase Man on a Ledge on Blu-ray at CD Universe

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[amazon-product]B007EQR970[/amazon-product]

Purchase Man on a Ledge on Blu-ray at CD Universe

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Film
[Rating:2/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]

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