Sam Worthington is an ex-cop set up during a sting.

He gets accused of stealing a huge diamond from a dishonest developer and mogul. The guy needs the cash from the insurance to pay for an investment and stave off bankruptcy.

After a couple of years in jail, Worthington’s Nick Cassidy is let out to attend his father’s funeral. It’s there he makes a clever, car-chase intensive escape. Once out, he rents a hotel room, has a meal, opens the window and walks out onto the ledge.

-- Local show times, theaters, trailer.

The pretend suicide is to distract police and prove his innocence.

While on the ledge and with all of the cops focusing on his dilemma, Cassidy’s goofy brother and babe girlfriend have the time they need to get the diamond back via a complicated heist. It’s stored in a safe guarded by ultra high-tech cameras, gizmos and gadgets and just happens to be in an office next door to the hotel and the ledge.

The heist is accompanied by the usual almost-get caughts and near misses.

The bad-guy cops soon figure out Cassidy is the leaper and as a now very loose, loose end, they’d just as soon he jump and go about finding ways to get rid of him — permanently. That’s why Cassidy asked for the department’s suicide talker-downer, Lydia Mercer. She’s in disgrace after losing her last leaper. But in his mind, she’s honest.

Besides, he needs a love interest — the writers think — to keep your interest.

Ed Harris plays the high-roller developer who has the diamond.

Starting with the premise, this one is as close to brain death as brain death gets. And you know when Ed Harris can’t save a movie — it can’t be saved.

Decent performances from the very likable Worthington (Avatar), Banks (Zack & Miri), Harris, Edward Burns, Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez are damaged by a convoluted, contrived and obvious plot that in the last act crashes harder than if the guy really jumped.

By the way, he doesn’t. But by movie’s end you’ll wish you could.

Mr. Movie rating: 1 star

Rated PG-13 for mature themes and violence. It opens Friday, Jan. 27 at Regal’s Columbia Center 8, the Fairchild Cinemas 12 and Walla Walla Grand Cinemas.

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.