As more aspects of our lives become digitized and computerized, new questions are raised about our security. Is it really safe to use a credit card over the Internet? How about paying bills or buying stocks online? "Firewall" halfheartedly tries, and ultimately fails spectacularly, in an attempt to prey on these doubts and fears.
Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford), the film's main character and victim of identity theft, is both a security executive who heads a Seattle-based chain of banks and a devoted father and husband. Those last two details aren't lost on Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), who takes Jack's family hostage with the help of a team of mercenaries. Cox promises Jack the safe return of his family only if Jack helps him steal one hundred million dollars from the bank.
Despite being marketed as an original technological take on a bank heist flick, nothing about "Firewall" is refreshing or engaging. Jack stubbornly acquiesces to the blackmailer's demands, but any viewer knows that a standard Harrison Ford protect-family-while-quipping-one-liners payback beatdown is inevitable.
A career of memorable action-adventure roles has generated a Harrison Ford persona that now seems to overshadow any new character that Ford is hired to play. An honorable man who perceives things in black or white, good or evil; someone who, despite occasionally having a mundane job, can suddenly have the ability to do heroic and implausible deeds when someone he loves is threatened.
It is particularly unfortunate that such moments are the movie's only highlights, because Ford actually has a promising supporting cast. Paul Bettany, a charismatic and talented actor best known for playing the "prodigal roommate" in "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen ("Sideways" [2004]) are woefully disappointing.
Though it's the script's lack of characterization rather than the their acting ability that falls short of the mark, Bettany and Madsen still should have had more sense than to sign on to this movie. It's Harrison Ford's job to do these kinds of implausible thrillers; they didn't have to jump on this sinking ship with him.
Of course, the cast wasn't "Firewall"'s only disappointment. For instance, when Cox and his band of thugs set up their base in Jack's house, it sets the stage for dramatic clashes, right? Not really. Cox spends time watching cartoons with Jack's son while the other mercenaries coddle his daughter and wife, telling them that they should just go rest in the bedroom and everything will be all right.
Then comes the point where Cox decides he needs to show Jack how serious he is about his threats against Jack's family, so he tricks Jack's allergic son into eating a cookie made with nuts. The wheezing, shaking, and subsequent EpiPen injection are the climax of the drama in Jack's house.
Except for its exploitation as a marketing ploy, the theme of identity theft goes largely ignored in the film. The movie begins with a series of contrived and overdone "voyeuristic" camerawork to convey some feeling that technology makes us all more vulnerable than we realize. But, in fact, the only real identity crime committed is that Cox's team creates a huge online gambling debt in Jack's name. Scary stuff.
Though on paper the idea of a digital bank heist may sound modern and refreshing, in practice it's anything but. There's absolutely nothing cinematic about seeing numbers scroll down a computer screen. In fact, since Cox asks for the money to be siphoned only from the bank's richest clients, why should viewers even sympathize?
And apparently, no one told the producers that this movie came out a year ago when it was called "Hostage." That film starred Bruce Willis who was forced to undertake a mission against his will because his family was being held hostage as well. Some critical differences, however, were that the villains and premise of "Hostage" were actually somewhat creepy, and its star wasn't sleepwalking through the role.
Though the commercials and trailer say otherwise, "Firewall" does not
deliver on its promise to be thrilling, nor does it seem to even know the meaning of tension. The only redeeming quality is a tired Harrison Ford who seems stiff and bored playing a very familiar character.
If it's Ford and his endearing habit of standing up against evil that is drawing you to this movie in the first place, save yourself the ticket fare and pick up one of his older films; "Firewall" isn't introducing anything new.
