Firewall

Starring: Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Virgina Madsen
Directed by: Richar Loncraine
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A security executive (Harrison Ford) learns his family has been kidnapped. The kidnapper (Paul Bettany) won't release his family unless he loots the business for millions.

Review:

Tim: Is this the end of Harrison Ford? This is the type of film that Ford would crush in his heyday, making it is own and giving us an intense thrill ride. This may be even more disappointing than Hollywood Homicide, because it is clear and obvious why that film was a failure. But Firewall should have been so much better. Why, then, are we given this weak, recycled film that doesn't even appear to have given the slightest hint of effort to position itself apart from the countless similar films out there.

Ford inspires nothing. He seems like he's only here for a paycheck, and could have care less about how the film turned out. Perhaps this is more the fault of the writer and the director, but it just comes across like Ford is ambivalent to the whole thing.

Normally I would have been so excited to see Paul Bettany pitted against Ford. Bettany is decent in the role, but like Ford, he just didn't seem to care about it. A big opportunity was missed here. Virginia Madsen doesn't have much to do, and I barely recognized that she was even in the film.

Firewall is a predictable, silly film that doesn't make any impact on us. Ford made excellent films out of Air Force One and Six Days, Seven Nights, but here, he either can't do it or didn't care enough about it. Similarly, it is hard for me to care about this movie, or ever want to see it again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Air Force One, Six Days, Seven Nights; Hollywood Homicide