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Firewall |
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By : Suzanne Philips |
Movie Reviews List | |
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FIREWALL Directed by: Richard Loncraine(Wimbledon) Written by: Joe Forte (Say I Do) Starring: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Paul Bettany (Wimbledon), Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Wimbledon, Black Hawk Down), Robert Patrick (Walk the Line) Running Time: 1 hour 40 min. Jack Stansfield (Harrison Ford) is the VP of Security for a larger bank chain in Seattle. It is his job to stop thieves and hackers from breaking into the company's high tech computer system. When a group of crooks led by Bill Cox (Paul Bettany) kidnaps Jack's family, he is forced to help the crooks hack into the very system he has helped to create. This has been billed as another Harrison Ford "thriller", it is actually a thriller without the thrill. While there are many action sequences and fights, more of the action in the film is cerebral. Jack must find a way to first protect his family and secondly, help the bank robbers who are keeping very close tabs on him. If you are in the mood for a good thrill-film and don't give a lot of thought to the inconsistencies, then this is a good film to see with friends or a date. If the little details really bother you, then you might have to make yourself overlook them to enjoy this film as they are somewhat plentiful. Both Ford and Madsen do a great job of portraying loving parents, and Ford does confidently give the sense of urgency that is involved with trying to save his family. The problem is consistency. In one scene Cox and his goons are urging Jack that this is a time-sensitive money transfer that needs to happen immediately and then in the next scene we see Jack going to work and sort of just hanging out. Huh?!? Many of the scenes seem to have a bit of a "hurry up and wait" feeling. Bettany is really outstanding as the master thief. He has turned what could have been a stereotypical bad buy role into something that has many layers and complexities. There is a great scene where he is eating cookies and watching cartoons and just acting much like a child and then in the next instant, he turns around and does something evil. All of these emotion and intent changes in his character are flawless. I think this might be one of his better roles. Also nice to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Liam, the second in command of the goon squad. While not a huge role, he does a nice job with what he is given. For Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings) fans there is a funny clip of the family watching television near the beginning of the film and as the camera pans to the screen, it is a clip of Urban from GHOST SHIP. A nice popcorn-type film which would be fun with friends as long as you don't scratch the surface too deeply. 2 1/2 out of 5. |
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