The first major outing for Harrsion Ford since 2004�s Hollywood Homicide sees him do what he does best, play the successful family man, settled and happy with his life, which seems fitting for Ford at the ripe age of 64 (at the time of writing). He seems content in playing very unassuming bland characters in half-decent, forgettable movies, which is just what Firewall is.
Ford plays Jack Stanfield, the head security executive of a global bank and IT wizard responsible for protecting the bank from fraud. After being duped by a potential new client, Bill Cox (Bettany), Jack soon finds out that Cox is a psychopathic thief, hell bent on robbing a considerable amount of cash from the bank, and is holding Jack�s family to ransom to force him to commit the criminal act. Jack then has to find a way of stopping Cox and his crack team of high-tech crooks, get his family back and clear his name.
I cant help but think that I have seen Harrison do something like this before. If not then the movie studio must have some mix-and-match lucky dip boxes, so they can pick certain themes, genre�s and stories at random and somehow try and make a unique movie out of it. The end result is reasonably satisfying. After all, who would not like to watch Indiana Jones overcome the odds, beat the bad guys and save the people in distress? The only difference being that he does it in a suit with a laptop. So, Ford is likeable, his wife (Madsen) is damn attractive and Bettany is decent but not outstanding as the villain � perhaps I�ve seen him play too many nice guys early in his career?
The main problem with the movie is that it try�s to be too many things to too many people. It�s not hardcore enough to attract a strong adult audience, and it�s diluted to the point where it could easily be a family film. This stinks of too many people at the top having their way with the film to try and get as much money from the movie, unfazed by the fact that it could suffer as a result, shame really. Harrison, do what you do best and get your bullwhip and hat back out asap� before it's too late. |
