For more movie summaries, see Kam's Kapsules.
(Photo by Diyah Pera)
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?: In an attempt to keep his family from harm, Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford, left) begs his captors to free his wife Beth (Virginia Madsen, right) and children Sarah and Andy (Carly Schroeder and Jimmy Bennett, center). In exchange he promises that he will do whatever they demand of him. |
Jack Stansfield is a computer security specialist with Landrock Pacific Bank. He and his family are quietly living in a suburban Seattle mansion which has breathtaking views of the ocean. However, their life is about to turn into a harrowing nightmare because a gang of goons is about to kidnap Jack's wife Beth (Virginia Madsen) and his children — 8-year-old Andrew (Jimmy Bennett) and 14-year-old Sarah (Carly Schroeder).
The intruders demand that he steal $100 million from his employer as ransom by breaking into the company's computers. However, this implicates the computer expert in the robbery.
If Firewall's plot sounds familiar, it is because Harrison Ford has played essentially the same character several times before as in Frantic (1988) and The Fugitive (1993).
In Frantic, he played a doctor who couldn't get help from either the cops or the French embassy when his wife mysteriously disappeared while the couple was in Paris for a medical convention. He had to rely on the help of an attractive young woman (all the while resisting her attempts to seduce him).
In The Fugitive, Ford played a doctor framed for the murder of his spouse. The protagonist had to rely on his own wits to crack the case and clear his name.
There's not much that's different in Firewall, despite the pretentious techno-babble. It's another non-stop action thriller about an honest citizen forced to break the law for the sake of his family. Unable to get help from the authorities, he has to engage in a battle of wits against a sadistic villain.
As the movie begins, we learn that Jack's company, Landrock Pacific, is contemplating a merger with an outfit led by a British businessman named Bill Cox (Paul Bettany). No one suspects that Cox is a conniving crook. He and his henchmen, with the help of digital video recorders and parabolic microphones, have been secretly monitoring every detail of the Stansfield household's daily activities.
As a result, the conspirators know how to defeat the house's burglar alarm and also that Andrew is highly allergic to peanut butter. So, when they sweep into the home and hold the family hostage, resistance is futile. However, Jack is allowed to leave in order to hack into Landrock Pacific's accounts. He decides to fight the kidnappers, taking advantage of a few clues that he discovers, together with the assistance of his former secretary (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and his dog, Rusty.
If you are a diehard Harrison Ford fan, you will enjoy this latest variation on a familiar theme. The spry 63 year-old proves himself still capable of mixing it up convincingly in an assortment of fight scenes. Plus, Paul Bettany, as the despicable mastermind, adds to the enjoyment of the resolution of the plot.
Another edge-of-your-seat roller coaster ride from a matinee idol everybody loves to root for.
Very good (3 stars). PG-13 for intense violence. Running time: 105 minutes. Studio: Warner Brothers.
For more movie summaries, see Kam's Kapsules.