FIREWALL

 

"What have you done to my family"

Security specialist Jack Stanfield (Ford) has personally supervised the online and computer protection for Seattle's largest commercial bank. When his business partner Harry (Forster) introduces him to a new potential client Bill Cox (Bettany), his interest isn't just about security. When the meeting ends he reveals that he is holding Jack's family prisoner and unless he helps him steal $100,000,000.

Harrison Ford's career has been on the slide as of late but can his return to all out action see a return to his glory days?

At sixty-three years old, returning to his action roots might not sound like the best move for Harrison Ford's aging limbs but in 'Firewall' he proves that he can still hold his own in the action stakes. While the film maybe a run of the mill action thriller and a mixture so many movies from the genre that has come before, it is the presence of Harrison Ford that makes the film all the more watchable.

'Firewall's' plot is an amalgamation of action film plots that have gone before. We have the kidnapped family, the English villain, the high-tech crime and the man who fights back, so absolutely nothing new here but this does do enough to entertain. There are some major flaws in the plot however, with the major one being the fact that even though the criminals have been watching Jack for months to learn everything about him and the bank that he works for, they don't know the that computer system has been upgraded a week before they planned their job. This instantly makes the rest of the film seem far too far-fetched.

What makes the film worth watching is the return to form of Harrison Ford. After a string of flops like 'Hollywood Homicide', 'K-19: The Widowmaker', 'Random Hearts' and 'Six Days Seven Nights', he really needed a film that would give him some credibility back. As Jack Stanfield, he plays the average man who gets caught up in an elaborate bank robbery and then takes on the criminals at their own game. While this is nothing new for Ford, it is a role that reminds us why he became an action star in the first place.

The rest of the cast are a descent ensemble. Virgina Madsen's return to the limelight continues with another good role as Jack's wife Beth Stanfield. Carly Schroeder and Jimmy Bennett are good as the Stanfield children as they tremble in fear during their abduction. Robert Patrick, Alan Arkin and Robert Forster are slightly wasted in smaller roles but they make their presence felt. Mary Lynn Rajskub is good as Jack's secretary. You have to wonder why a gifted character actor like Paul Bettany decided to star as a stereotypical British villain but he does his best with the role and makes Bill Cox much better than he should have been.

'Firewall' is a lot more entertaining than it should have been because of the presence of Harrison Ford and his supporting cast. If you don't expect much from the very familiar plot, this is worth watching to see Harrison Ford return to form.

Airforce One

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2006