Daisy Ridley’s Die Hard: The Unbelievable Skyscraper Saga You Won’t Believe!

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After the critically acclaimed “Casino Royale” in 2006, Director Martin Campbell has had a challenging period, producing one poorly received superhero movie and five largely unmemorable action thrillers. His new film, titled “Cleaner”, continues this trend by offering little that’s different from previous action-thriller offerings.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to categorize “Cleaner” as another “Die Hard” knock-off. In fact it fits the description closer than many. It has a skyscraper, terrorists, hostages, and an out-of-place protagonist who is forced to take action. Of course we know as Oscar Wilde first uttered, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. But a movie needs to add some flavor of its own to make it stand out. And that’s something “Cleaner” struggles mightily to do.

In an unexpected turn of events, Daisy Ridley takes on the role of Joey Locke, a former soldier who was dishonorably discharged and now spends her days cleaning and maintaining windows in a cutting-edge London skyscraper. During her daily commute, Joey receives a distressing phone call informing her that her autistic brother Michael (portrayed by Matthew Tuck) is being evicted from his ninth care facility due to an incident involving him hacking into their computer systems.

On that particular day, with no other options available, Joey decides to bring her brother Michael along to work at the sleek Agnian Tower, the headquarters of Agnian Energy, managed by the self-important and unscrupulous Milton brothers, Geoffrey and Gerald. Unbeknownst to them, this was a day that would prove quite challenging for Joey and Michael.

At an extravagant event held by the Milton brothers on one of the building’s upper levels, the celebration is disrupted by a group of radical eco-activists, going by the name Earth Revolution. Their charismatic leader, Marcus Blake (portrayed by Clive Owen), is a passionate crusader determined to unveil Agnian’s transgressions such as destroying ecosystems through illegal waste disposal and suppressing dissenting voices permanently. Within Marcus’ team, there’s the volatile Noah (Taz Skylar) who advocates for violent means to express their cause. It doesn’t take long before the friction between Marcus and Noah escalates significantly.

To no surprise violence erupts, hostages are taken, threats are issued, and the police gather at the scene under the lead of Superintendent Claire Hume (Ruth Gemmell). Meanwhile trapped high above on a window cleaning cradle is Joey, desperately trying to make her way inside to save the wandering Michael. In true John McClane fashion, Joey becomes a thorn in the terrorists side although not an especially convincing one.

I found myself immersed in a tale that, while not exactly breaking new ground, is the work of Simon Uttley, Paul Andrew Williams, and Matthew Orton. It unfolds with a symphony of familiar tropes and recycled narrative arcs. The dialogue is often amusingly cheesy, and there are scenes that, perhaps unintentionally, border on the absurd (I must admit, my personal favorite being Joey clinging by her fingertips to the exterior of a skyscraper over a thousand feet high, chatting away about her past as if it were just another day in the park).

Ridley gives her all in her performance, and it’s wonderful to see Clive Owen return to the silver screen after many years. Regrettably, there’s a lingering feeling of miscasting for Ridley, and Clive doesn’t receive enough screentime. However, the film’s problems are more substantial than these specific issues, making them challenging to ignore. The movie is somewhat absurd, lacks essential excitement, and unfortunately pales in comparison to other movies that executed similar concepts more effectively. “Cleaner” hits theaters on February 21st.

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2025-02-20 18:57