Ex-cop Nick Cassidy gambles with his life in order to prove his innocence in Man on a Ledge, an action mind bender from director Asger Leth. Though it stars a fairly good ensemble and flirts with a daring concept, the film, much like Nick’s threats of ending his own life, is nothing more than talk that doesn’t go anywhere.  Hit the jump for a review of the Blu-ray.

Man on a Ledge will have a long and prosperous life playing on TNT for the next 134 years.  That’s not an insult.  Not every thriller needs to pump up our adrenaline, not every heist film has to dizzy our minds, and not every drama has to make us reconsider men and the ledges they stand on.  Sometimes it’s enough to simply be a fun little movie that can play in the background while you’re working on something else.  For the most part, Man on a Ledge manages to clear its modest bar but some key miscasting and wasted performances keep it from reaching the levels of The Negotiator or In the Line of Fire.

Summit has released the first trailer for Man on a Ledge.  Sam Worthington stars as a cop in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.  He plans an elaborate escape that puts him “freshly shaven in an expensive suit, standing on a window ledge high above New York City.”  The trailer makes this look like the film could be a spiritual sequel to The Negotiation (words I never thought I would have to write: “spiritual sequel to The Negotiator“) but still be a fun little thriller.  The January release date makes me wary, but I like the cast, and the premise looks enjoyable enough.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer. Directed by directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil), the film also stars Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Kyra Sedgwick, Anthony Mackie, and Ed Harris. Man on a Ledge opens January 13, 2011. 

The always great Elizabeth Banks has landed the lead female role in Man On a Ledge.  The film will tell the story of an ex-cop-turned-con that threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop but, unbeknownst to the cops on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover for a massive diamond heist.  Deadline reports that Banks will be playing the NYPD crisis negotiator that tries to talk to the suicidal detective, who she has had a past relationship with.  If you guys remember, Amy Adams was rumored to be up for the same role earlier this month.

The latest screenplay draft for Man On a Ledge was written by Erich and Jon Hoeber (Red) and the film will be the narrative feature debut of documentarian Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil). The film will also star Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, and Anthony Mackie.  Filming is set to begin in New York in November.

This past June we learned that Sean Penn was dropping out of “The Three Stooges” and “Cartel” to spend more time with his family.  Today we’ve learned that Josh Brolin will take his place for “Cartel.”  I like Penn a lot, but I’m now far more interested in this since Brolin has been doing great work these past couple of years and at this point I’m more excited about a Brolin performance than a Penn performance.   To learn more about “Cartel” and Brolin’s role, hit the jump