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Firewall

After watching him perform a Dr. Seuss-like introduction to the Super Bowl, and witnessing his possibly drunken rambling at the Golden Globes, one may wonder if Harrison Ford is still the man. Has he gotten too old to be a credible action hero who can kick some booty? When you see Firewall, the answer is no. Harrison Ford is still the man. Get off his airplane, and don't get cocky.

Ford plays Jack Stanfield - the Vice President of Security for a bank. His life is in upheaval as the bank is consumed by a larger one, and Jack has troubles getting along with the man who will be his new boss, Gary (Robert Patrick). One day, he and his friend, a fellow security expert named Harry (Robert Forster), are asked to have dinner with a potential new employer, Bill Cox (Paul Bettany). After the meeting, Cox jumps into Jack's car and informs our hero this is not an interview, and he has kidnapped Jack's wife, Beth (Virginia Madsen); teen daughter, Sarah (Carly Schroeder); and young son, Andrew (Jimmy Bennett) (Oh! That's why Cox was so generous with the pay, benefits and vacation time! We should have known it was too good to be a real job offer.). To free his family, Jack must help Bill and his team of thugs steal $100 million from the bank's richest 10,000 customers, using the security chief's inside knowledge of the computer systems. Making the situation even more perilous, the bad guys know everything about the Stanfield family, and like to take advantage of the knowledge when necessary.

Can Jack subvert his own security systems, and those of the new owner, to get the money and free his family?

Firewall is a great thriller to excite your senses and keep you wondering what will happen. Director Richard Loncraine makes the mundane task of typing on a keyboard into a life and death struggle, while having fun showing us all of the ways Jack uses his vast knowledge and skill to do something almost impossible, usually making the audience respond with a heartfelt, "gee whiz." While Firewall isn't a complete intellectual challenge and detailed computer expo (which would only thrill IT guys everywhere, but they have their Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, so no complaining is allowed), Loncraine and writer Joe Forte stimulate our brains as we scheme and plot along with Jack and his family through various well placed plot twists. Loncraine establishes a taught, tense tone that slowly and expertly builds into full-on action as Jack gets deeper and deeper into trouble with these dangerous men, while also trying to find a way out. However, Ford and Bettany make Firewall into the movie you must see this weekend.

Bettany is a perfect 21st Century bad guy as he mixes nastiness with a detached coolness that makes you shudder at its cruelty. He creates the kind of character who doesn't have to yell and scream to get you to pay attention. Bettany just stares at you with steely eyes that mean business. He has wonderful chemistry with Ford as the two exchange dialogue like two pros dancing a tango, even eliciting a few laughs along the way to ease the tension a bit.

Providing a wonderful and understandable balance to Bettany, Ford shows us Jack's pain and anguish as he is pushed to the edge by Cox, scared for his family and driven by his manhood and sense of reality to attempt to escape rather than give in to the bad guys. He does exactly what we want as he battles the villains as he has in many movies with his morally incensed face scrunched together to show his outrage at these evildoers. Mary Lynn "Chloe" Rajskub is fine as Jack's assistant, also bringing some laughter and terror to the proceedings, and always making you want her to turn to Ford and say, "I have this other friend Jack who might be able to help. He's tough and good with a tight deadline."

Firewall starts off with a bang by getting to the action after establishing some important facts, but loses a little steam towards the end. Forte and Loncraine do a great job making Firewall interesting and challenging early on, but need a better, smarter ending to match the good stuff at the beginning. Without giving too much away, Jack's actions throughout the movie have raised suspicion among the bank's executives, and he has left a long trail pointing to himself as the guy who is stealing $100 million, so that need to be better resolved than it is here. Other than that, it's a great movie helping to get you away from everything.

3 Waffle (Out Of 4)

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