Skyscraper is finally out after months of expensive marketing and buildup. During the Super Bowl earlier this year, the entire country let out a collective “meh” and accused Dwayne Johnson of remaking Die Hard with his own stamp on it (as he loves to do). He’s made a highly successful movie career out of doing just that. He takes a franchise with potential and injects his muscle and charisma into it. It seems to work as hes revitalized a few dying brands that seemed to far gone until he lends his talents. The movies are rarely highly acclaimed but still manage to be box office blockbusters.

We all know what to expect from a Johnson movie; or The Rock, as I’ll always call him. Tons of action, both good and bad jokes, and total cornball moments for the whole family to love. The good guy will win in the end and all will be well in the world. A few months ago, I watched a disappointing interview during the Rampage media rounds where he proclaimed he would never take part in a movie with a sad ending, such as a major character sacrificing themselves or the bad guy winning. That’s disappointing because you know from then on that any movie you watch of his will be totally predictable. Skyscraper is no different in that sense, but there is something special about the movie.

Johnson plays Will Sawyer, a former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader who now works as a security consultant. The opening scene shows how he lost his leg during his last mission in brutal fashion. An old buddy from his team has called him to Hong Kong to offer his expertise in approving the The Pearl’s security before it is opened to the public. Sawyer is a family man and has brought them along to stay with him as the first to stay in the building. Zhao Long Ji is the mastermind behind the tower’s architecture and has invested $6.5 billion into The Pearl, making it the 8th Wonder of the World. It’s three times taller than the Empire State Building and twice as large as the world’s largest building, the Burj Khalifa. He seems to have planned for anything, or so he thinks.

After a few twists and turns, the Sawyer family have found themselves on the wrong side of a firewall in the tower, preventing them from getting out without the help of the willful patriarch. This is where it all does start to feel like a remake of the original Die Hard. Hostages are trapped in a building, and a battle-hardened father will stop at nothing to save his family. All of this is done with the help of a cop on the outside who seems to be the only one to trust the vigilante for no good reason. There’s also a deranged foreign terrorist who has some personal and business vendetta he’s willing to die for to settle. A standout character that I felt drawn to was Neve Cambell, who plays Sawyer’s wife. The mama bear comes out hard as she’s tasked with preserving her children while fighting off baddies like a trained fighter.

Even with the relentless Die Hard comparisons and predictability of a Rock movie, Skyscraper is still pretty good. The buildup to this movie seemed like it was more than just another Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson movie. I mean, it is; but this one is a head above most of the movies he’s done lately. I’ll even confidently say this is one of his best movies of his career. The stunts are jaw dropping at times and the special effects were great. Most of the movie is the Rock hanging off of something 100+ floors up in the air or pulling off some other type of death-defying stunt. He doesn’t make movies to earn an Oscar, and no one takes their family to his movies in hopes of seeing the next DiCaprio-esque performance.

I recommend Skyscraper if you’re looking to check out a good action movie at the theater. Will it go down in history as a classic, similar to Die Hard? Hell no. I do think this movie deserves a chance by those who are weary of a Johnson movie. It might surprise you just how good this one really is. If you’ve followed his career up until now, you’re either a committed fan or burned out. Skyscraper should be enjoyed by fans of all ages. There’s something for everyone and the action is prime Rock. There could be more clever quips and funny moments but there’s already enough high flying stunts to keep you entertained. I’m happy he found a killer movie and it was produced well, which is why I give Skyscraper an 8. I’d like to go with a nine but there were some extremely corny moments. Not my forte.