Review: Firewall


Computer security wiz for a major bank (Harrison Ford) and his far too young family (Virginia Madsen, Carly Schroeder, and Jimmy Bennett) are targeted by nasty (but ever-so dapper) Paul Bettany and his equally revolting crew who want Ford to rob his bank of $100 million, or else wifey, kiddies, and the oh-so cute puppy will go bye-bye, permanently. Oh, and they seem to be very well-equipped technologically to quash every hero attempt Ford could possibly make, every call for help. Robert Forster is Ford’s ex-cop buddy, and Mary Lynn Rajskub essentially does her frowny-face, nerdy thing from “24” as Ford’s secretary. Alan Arkin and Robert Patrick make mere extended cameos as Ford’s old boss and his arrogant, antagonistic new boss (Ford’s company is merging with another).


A seriously miscast Harrison Ford isn’t the only fishy thing about this clichéd 2006 Richard Loncraine (“Wimbledon” and “Richard III” !) thriller. In fact, if it weren’t for a good (but mostly wasted) supporting cast and the sinister bad guy turn by a well-cast Bettany (he could’ve made a career out of bad guy roles if he wanted to), the film would be pretty awful. It’s all pretty much paint-by-numbers stuff, and although not technically horrible, it’s just mediocre, and one can’t praise a film for simply not sucking. Screenplay by Joe Forte (a debutant, who should perhaps have given it a few more polishes), there’s really not much else to say about such a bog standard techno thriller. Skip it.


Rating: C

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