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Firewall (2006)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
11/08
11/08:
Firewall is a vintage Harrison Ford picture.
Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up well as compared to his past films. Hence, it's safe to say that Harrison Ford's days
as a blockbuster star are long over.
Of the villains, they look like dumb amateurs, lacking the conviction in trying to pull off the heist.
Incidentally, why shoot the bad guy instead of the spoiled brat son and then promptly warn the family that their daughter is
next? I mean, there are three hostages besides the father, and two of them are expendable.
One of the better moments is Robert Patrick, who's instantly recognizable as the blue-eyed T-1000 in
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, going against Harrison Ford. It's
too bad that there's not enough of it. Robert
Forster, who's a solid actor, doesn't have enough screen time. Virginia Madsen is hardly recognizable, so why bother casting
her in the first place? Paul Bettany, whose character is severely underdeveloped, seems miscast.
Richard Loncraine's direction is a nice treat as he takes advantage of the 90's formula by not going for the fancy stuff. The
adage "less is more" is strictly followed. Still, there are many questions. For example, when the family members
made their escape, why go inside the car? Why not run to the woods, thus making it impossible for the villains to locate
them? Or when Ford's character used the fire extinguisher to smash the windows, why not get out of the house, too? Why didn't
he yell out loud in his office, bringing attention to the problem?
All in all, Firewall is another enjoyable Harrison Ford vehicle, but it's best to keep your expectations low.