Firewall (2006)

Harrison Ford
Paul Bettany
Virginia Madsen
Robert Patrick
Robert Forster
Alan Arkin

Directed by Richard Loncraine

Plot: Computer security specialist Jack Stanfield works for the Seattle-based Landrock Pacific Bank. A trusted top-ranking executive, he has built his career and reputation on designing the most effective anti-theft computer systems in the industry. But there's a vulnerability in Jack's system that he has not accounted for: himself. It's a vulnerability that Bill Cox, one very ruthless and resourceful thief, is poised to exploit. Having spent the better part of a year methodically infiltrating every aspect of Jack's identity, Cox is now ready to make good on his investment. Leading a tight team of mercenary accomplices, he seizes control of the Stanfield house, making Beth and the kids terrified hostages in their own home and Jack his unwilling pawn in a scheme to steal $100 million from the Landrock Pacific Bank. Jack is forced to find a breach in his own formidable security system to siphon funds into his captor's offshore account--incriminating himself in the process. Under constant surveillance, he has only hours to accomplish the risky transactions while desperately hunting for a loophole in the thief's own impenetrable wall of subterfuge and false identities to save his family and beat Cox at his own game.

Review: As much as I love Harrison Ford, lately he just hasn’t done much for me. I miss the younger Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones & Han Solo. I actually really dig the older Harrison Ford from great films like Air Force One & The Fugitive. I was hoping that this might be his great return, of course I think that every time I see one of his movies. The movie is not bad, but it isn’t quite up to par with what I am waiting on from him.

The movie has a decent storyline and some cool twists in it, but it still isn’t the great Harrison Ford movie I was hoping for. Mr. Ford gives a good performance, as usual, and even has some of the great fighting and emotional moments that I loved from the Jack Ryan films. Despite being in his 60’s, he still is running around and kicking butt with the best of them. The film starts out somewhat slow, but does pick up some once it gets into the meat of the story. Paul Bettany plays a decent villain, but just didn’t come off as ruthless as I think he was meant to be. I felt the second half of the film really picked up and gave us some of the moments that made Air Force One so great, with Harrison Ford now double-crossing the bad guys and turning the tables on them. Overall the film is good, but not quite as good as I hoped. The upside to this film is that as I watched it, I could still see Indiana Jones in there, something I haven’t seen from Harrison Ford in some time.
 

Film Review Index