The Walk

Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a juggler and tightrope walker in 1974, has a simple dream: to string a cable between the tops of the World Trade Center towers and walk from one building to the other. He assembles his team, and each member fully realizes they’ll have to break the law to see Philippe’s dream become reality. Together they brave the weather, guards, construction workers, and the police as this mostly true tale unfolds.

ClearPlay In Action!

About 30 instances of profanity dot the PG-rated spectacle, which ClearPlay handles deftly. There is also some surprising partial nudity, also cut by ClearPlay. The Walk is a movie about dreaming big, and the ClearPlayed version is fine for the whole family. Nevertheless, parents concerned about the lawlessness and possible dangerous imitative behavior might think twice about younger viewers.

Should I run to rent The Walk?...

Petit’s story has been covered previously in the documentary Man on Wire, and much of The Walk follows that telling beat by beat. But where director Robert Zemeckis excels is in his visual selling of the climax and its dizzying virtuosity. Some parts may drag a little because of its inevitability but, in the end, it’s a walk to remember.

Marty Nabhan, ClearPlay High-Wire Act

Rated PG for thematic elements involving perilous situations, and for some nudity, language, brief drug references and smoking; 123 mins; Directed by Robert Zemeckis