For nearly two decades, no one in Hollywood has played the role of a good-natured, hard working family man pushed over the edge quite like Harrison Ford. In "The Devil's Own" (1997), "The Fugitive" (1993) and his two turns as CIA agent Jack Ryan (from the mega-popular Tom Clancy book series) in "Clear and Present Danger" and "Patriot Games," Ford has displayed all the cunning and resourcefulness of James Bond, minus the myriad gadgets and international one-night stands.
Always with Ford's characters, there's more at stake than his own life as he dodges bullets and fistfights with terrorists; on more than one occasion, he's even wrestled with bad guys as his wife and kids cower in an adjacent room. Ford is an Action Star for certain, but of a very different brand than Arnold Schwarzenegger or Vin Diesel. He's a hero that only fights as a last resort; when someone messes with his family.
"Firewall" returns Ford to this role of familial protector, this time as a bank security expert Jack Stanfield (see "inexplicably macho computer nerd") who is taken hostage in his own home -- along with his wife, daughter, and son -- and forced to hack his own hack-proof security system to the tune of $100 million for some greedy young lads led by Cox (Paul Bettany).
Jack and his family are placed under total surveillance; Jack is sent to work with a pen-camera in his breast pocket and a microphone beneath his tie. Ostensibly, everything he sees, says and hears will be monitored by one of Cox's cronies from a van parked outside, but of course -- as the rule goes with action flicks -- the crony assigned the most crucial role in the operation drops the ball, and Jack gains some temporary wiggle room (only to be put in check by Cox, of course).
It's not a bad premise for a movie: to save his family (and his bank, let's not forget), Jack has to outsmart these guys, but he can't make a move, even a type an e-mail, without Cox and the gang seeing it.
Unfortunately, "not bad" is the best this film ever gets; from the get-go the script resorts to generic, often-ridiculous devices. The result is a cookie-cutter action-thriller with little action and nary a thrill.
Bettany as Cox is hardly a memorable nasty (except for his propensity for killing his own men), and his small crew is chock full of the usual suspects. But where this film really fails is with Jack, who -- despite his family being held at gunpoint -- immediately (and repeatedly) tests the length of his short leash with reckless shenanigans.
After one of his hijinks fails and Cox and his boys are fired up, Jack attempts to reassure his wife: "It's just a game," to which she fires back, along with all sane members of the audience, "It's not a game, Jack!" Duh!
Where is the appropriate Harrison Ford character? The patient, resourceful Ordinary-Joe-turned-hero that takes chances and puts his family at risk only when absolutely necessary? Not in "Firewall," that's for sure; this Jack is more like Indiana Jones than a fearful protector. Jack's brazen sense of bravado undercuts any suspense the film attempts to build; it leaves viewers wondering, "If Jack's not worrying, why should we?"
"Firewall" is playing in theaters everywhere and is rated PG-13 for strong violence.
