FIREWALL: Ford Tries To Save His Family...Again!

FIREWALL (Blu-ray)

2006 / 105 min

From Warner Bros

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

A long time ago, I was visiting my folks when a trailer for a Harrison Ford movie showed up on TV. While I don’t remember what movie it was, Dad made an off-handed comment that it was “probably another one where Harrison Ford has to save his family.” 

It was a funny remark, but also pretty accurate...and has since become something of a trope. Looking back at his filmography, there are indeed a slew of titles in where Ford plays someone forced to save his wife, kids or some other family member. Not to disparage the man (I’ve always been a fan), but there ain’t hell of a lot of variation in those characters either, nor his approach to them…basically displaying desperate, grim determination. But hey, if the formula works, why mess with it?

One of those movies is 2006’s Firewall, which quite frankly, I forgot even existed. Most A-list actors, no matter how popular they become, inevitably crank out a film or two that falls through the cracks and ends up being forgotten…sometimes for good reason. Not that this one is bad - in fact, I kind of enjoyed it - but as thrillers go, the film doesn’t really bring anything new to the table.

Additionally, there’s little to distinguish its protagonist, bank security chief Jack Stanfield, from Richard Kimble or Jack Ryan (other than Ford mumbling most of his dialogue…thank god for subtitles). He’s forced by a crew of baddies, led by Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), to hack into his own bank’s security system and siphon millions from various accounts. To ensure Jack’s cooperation, Bill and his team invade the Stanfield home and hold Jack’s wife & kids hostage.

"You know, you could always turn on the air conditioner."

However, Jack isn’t entirely cooperative (even though he’s under constant surveillance) which leads to some tense conflict and puts his family in jeopardy. While at the bank, Jack’s change in behavior begins to draw the concerns and suspicion of others, a plot element that might remind viewers of Ford’s similar plight in The Fugitive. 

The whole thing is pretty derivative, but entertaining in the moment, with a reliably stoic Ford performance. Bettany is also enjoyable as a crafty, overconfident antagonist. I’m not sure how plausible any of this is, but that’s never been much of a deal breaker. Plenty of thrillers expect a willing suspension of disbelief from the audience and at least Firewall doesn’t abuse the privilege.

While I doubt anybody has ever walked away from Firewall thinking they’ve seen anything special, it’s an efficiently assembled thriller with a main character that’s certainly within its star’s wheelhouse. Those who never tire of Harrison Ford saving his family won’t have any complaints.

This is a re-issue of a Blu-ray first released in 2006.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Firewall Decoded features discussion between actor Harrison Ford and director Richard Loncraine; Firewall: Writing a Thriller features screenwriter Joe Forte’s approach to writing the script.

TRAILER