Harrison Ford and company deliver a reasonably fulfilling thriller.
Jack Stanfield: Harrison Ford
Beth Stanfield: Virginia Madsen
Bill Cox: Paul Bettany
Sarah Stanfield: Carly Schroeder
Andy Stanfield: Jimmy Bennett
Janet Stone: Mary Lynn Rajskub
Gary Mitchell: Robert Patrick
Harry Romano: Robert Forster
Arlin Forester: Alan Arkin
Directed by Richard Loncraine
Release Date: February 10, 2006
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence.
What separates the good action thrillers from the bad ones? The core of any action film is the lead star. The plot could have holes, the action sequences might be over the top, and certain aspects could be a little improbable, but those arguments can easily be disregarded if the main star is contented with the role. Some actors are born as the ideal portrait of an action performer. Harrison Ford is exactly that because he transforms his characters so the audience can identify with him. His newest venture, Firewall is not a four star classic, but it is a rough and ready, yet stable and coherent escapist entertainment. Like a computer, Firewall has its annoying spyware, but there are no viruses.
Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) has your basic family with his lovely wife Beth (Virginia Madsen), daughter Sarah (Carly Schroeder), son Andy (Jimmy Bennett), and the dog. He works at Landrock Pacific Bank as a computer security expert, and his bank is in the middle of merger. His common life is turned upside down when a quick-witted criminal Bill Cox along with his ruffians hold Jack's family hostage unless he does exactly as they say. They use Jacks computer intelligence to execute a massive bank robbery. Jack plays relatively nicely at first, but like most criminals, Bill doesn't follow through with his promises. With the help of his secretary (Mary Lynn Rajskub), Jack summons all of his courage to save the money and most importantly his family.
This is a tailor made Harrison Ford rock ‘em sock ‘em slugfest from start to finish as he displays all his gallantry in the face of evil. He does not reconstruct the brilliance that was apparent as President James Marshall in Air Force One or Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive, but Jack Stanfield is convincing enough as a man who knows his computers. Make no mistake about it, Jack is not a computer nerd parallel to Antitrust or Hackers. Ford remains meticulous and attentive throughout as a reliable husband, father, and boss who has been caught by surprise.
After learning of this role via answering machine by Harrison Ford, Virginia Madsen originally thought it was a practical joke. Ford was so impressed with her, that is he hoping she joins him again for Indian Jones 4. Well, she was quite impressive as she stood by her man. She is the voice of reason for Jack, and she brings sensibility as well as venerability to complement her beauty.
Get used to Paul Bettany as a villain because later this year he will portray Silas in The Da Vinci Code, which is a role that could make or break his career. He succeeds with Bill Cox as a calm, cool, and collected kidnapper that is resourceful and unyielding. He appears to have excellent chemistry with his counterpart in the film, Harrison Ford. A fight scene involving the two of them will satisfy wrestling fans, as it looks like a hardcore championship match.
Many different groups of moviegoers exist, but two come to mind when contemplating the target audience for Firewall. The first are those people who attend the theater more casually, and seem to "like" everything they see. Let's call them "casual viewers." The second are those who frequent the movie theaters, and prefer those films which require discussion at the end. We'll call this group the "thinking viewer." The thinking viewers will tear Firewall apart for any number of reasons. Maybe it was the mundane storyline, unrealistic actions taken with computers, or the plot holes. This is everything casual viewers love in a film, due to the sustaining entertainment with a recognizable face in the front seat, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. One will have no problem scrutinizing this film, but it remains capable and efficient with the attractive computer mumbo jumbo led the Ford.
This reminded me of Con-Air in the way that many cracks and gaps were present, but in that film, Nicolas Cage was the ideal choice for the hero, and that is the case with Harrison Ford in Firewall. Director Richard Loncraine accomplished very little with 2004's Wimbledon, but his newest picture might actually turn a few heads. The plot is almost identical to his past film entitled Bellman and True, but I doubt many will take notice to that fact. Everything about this film is hackneyed from the juvenile score, to the unimposing screenplay, but the cast puts forth an amazingly forceful and persuasive effort for the audience. When Loncraine finally starts fastening the angles so they're taut and snug, the film becomes informative, yet firmly concise.
This falls smoothly into the category of films that one either admire or objects to. Firewall has standard tension and climactic sequences, but it all comes down to what one can tolerate. The grainy yet bizarrely alluring surveillance footage offers a swerve of sorts, but ones concentration and conversation to Firewall will most likely depart when the movie is over. It is not a waste of time by far, and the heart should continue to race towards the mildly exciting finale.
The 411: This really wasn’t too bad and I looked past the plot holes and routine storyline. I think Ford can hold his own in action thrillers, and to be honest I would prefer him above certain other actors. This is worth seeing in the theater, but not much else. This is the type of film that you will see on the Wal-Mart $9.99 rack in no time.
