Skyscraper - 3D

"So, what's the plan?"

"Got any duct tape?"

Ten years after a hostage rescue went sideways leaving him scarred and minus one leg, Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) has laid down his gun and picked up a pen. As a security assessment specialist, his friend and former fellow agent Ben Gillespie (Pablo Schreiber) has hired will to underwrite billionaire Chin Han (Zhao Long Ji) latest construction The Pearl - the world's tallest building at 3,500 feet tall. What should have been a working vacation for Will and his wife Sarah (Neve Campbell) turns into a nightmare when international terrorists hijack the building's state-of-the-art security system and set the building on fire above the 96th floor. Now blamed for the crime, Will must find a way to get back into the building above the fire line to stop the terrorists, clear his name, and rescue his trapped family. 

From that ridiculous first poster featuring Dwayne Johnson leaping into the building burning from an impossible distance, you knew Skyscraper wasn't going to be a movie remembered for its brains. As I sat down to watch this movie in the theater with my wife, we knew full well going in that it was the very definition of big dumb fun summer action movies - and didn't expect anything more than that. We were hoping for something on par or at least fairly close to some of the fun we had with San Andreas. Skyscraper doesn't quite get there, but it gets close enough to be fun and provide diverting entertainment - so long as you don't think about it. 

Read the rest of the review HERE

Vital Disc Stats: The 3D Blu-ray

Skyscraper is brought to 3D Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Studios in a two-disc 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital set. Pressed onto a BD-50 disc, the discs are housed in a standard sturdy Blu-ray case with identical slipcover artwork. The disc loads directly to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options. None of the bonus features are present on this disc but are included in the standard 2D Blu-ray.

From the theater to the small screen, Skyscraper always felt like a film designed for 3D. From the open city shots of Hong Kong to the harrowing frequent Dwayne Johnson hanging by one hand sequences, to the rather impressive bridge rescue over a pit of flames - the movie had 3D in mind. With that, if you're going to watch Skyscraper and really appreciate the fun it's having, 3D is the way to go. This MVC 1080p 2.40:1 3D presentation is probably one of the better post-conversion 3D flicks I've seen this side of a Marvel movie. Other recent releases like Tomb Raider felt like 3D was such an afterthought that the effect was little better than a popup book cutout. Here, there is a real sense of depth to the image.

Even when the film opens to the tight confines of the cabin, the lasers coming off Johnson's assault team's weapons kicked the 3D in high gear giving some great out-of-screen action. Once the action moved to Hong Kong the wide shots look fantastic while even the sequences where green screen background felt obvious and flattened the image in the 2D Blu-ray and 4K UHD presentations, you can enjoy that sense of depth and separation. There are a number of great sequences throughout where the 3D effect is put to good use allowing for plenty of object placement along the Z-axis. When Johnson's family have to cross a makeshift bridge you can feel that sense of height and danger plus the added sparks and embers floating around give you plenty of foreground, middle, and background activity. There are some sequences - especially the final action scene inside the orb with the mirrors where the 3D effect could feel a bit "cookie cutter," but otherwise this is a great transfer.

As much as I really enjoyed the 4K Blu-ray, I'll be more tempted to break out the 3D disc whenever I feel like taking another look at this movie. It just feels like a more complete experience. 

The same great Dolby Atmos mix featured in the 2D Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release was brought over for this disc. Here's our previous review:

An action movie needs a great audio mix and Skyscraper gets a lot of mileage out of this Dolby Atmos track. Dialogue is crystal clear throughout and never at odds with the other elements. Sound effects have a nice natural quality to them with some terrific surround effects giving a lot of great object-based placement. The sounds when the terrorists first set fire to the building using the sprinkler system and the ensuing pops and sparks is a great example of what this mix can do giving terrific surround movement as well as some great overhead action. The sequence where Johnson moves the crane with helicopter surrounding the scene is another great moment to keep your ears open for. Between the roar of the blaze, explosions, the sound of the turbine rotors, there is plenty of LFE activity to keep your sub rumbling. As proved over the years with numerous other movies, Steve Jablonsky knows how to deliver a great action movie score. With some terrific directionality, levels are spot on without a need to boost the volume past where you'd normally keep things for an average viewing experience. 

All of the supplements are found on the standard Blu-ray disc.

Most movies don't get much in the way of a robust bonus feature selection these days, but Skyscraper enjoys a few decent ones. The highlight of the pack is the audio commentary from director Rawson Marshall Thurber. It's a good listen and offers up plenty of material. The deleted and extended scenes actually work pretty well, you can see they mileage for timing issues. The rest is the tried and true EPK talking head feature stuff that only briefly touches on the making of the movie.  

• Audio Commentary with Rawson Marshall Thurber
• Deleted Scenes w/ Optional Director Commentary (HD 12:10) Most of this stuff isn't earth shattering but you're gonna want to watch the last deleted scene called "Try Hard."
• Extended Scenes w Optional Director Commentary (HD 10:18)
• Dwayne Johnson: Embodying A Hero (HD 4:04) 
• Inspiration (HD 4:12)
• Opposing Forces (HD 2:35)
• Friends No More (HD 4:21)
• Kids In Action (HD 2:40)
• Pineapple Pitch (HD 1:38)

Skyscraper is a big dumb summer action movie that's also a good bit of popcorn munching fun. Don't expect anything from it and you should have an okay time of it. If you're still on the 3D bandwagon, Skyscraper is best enjoyed with the added depth and dimension. Universal Studios delivers a 3D Blu-ray disc that gives a terrific sense of excitement and fun to the action making it a worthwhile purchase. Toss in the same great Dolby Atmos audio mix and you've got a hell of a fun flick with a richly immersive A/V presentation. Recommended.