About halfway through this movie I started wishing that Harrison Ford would challenge himself just once with a movie that is completely outside of his range of experience. He's long since gotten any possible mileage out of movies like Firewall and continuing down this path is bordering on the abusive.
This is not to indicate that Ford dogs it all or in any way gives less than his all in this movie. The complaint is not with Ford's performance, it's the movies he chooses to appear in. Firewall is a thoroughly predictable by the numbers Hollywood thriller. At no point does it try anything daring, inspired or original. The only thing about it that impresses is the number of quality actors who signed on to the project for a quick easy paycheck. This is the sort of movie used to buy a new house or a second Ferrari. It is not the sort of movie that lines the mantle with awards.
It's difficult to even work up the emotion to beat this movie up. It doesn't sink into the pits of trash but neither does it aspire to anything other than mediocrity. It was necessary to go directly to work on a review as it will be impossible after a day or two to remember anything about this movie beyond Ford's presence.
The story is of bank network security guy Jack Stanfield (Ford). He is swept up in an elaborate plan to rob the bank of $100 million electronically. The thieves kidnap Jack's family to ensure his cooperation. Ford plays it grumpy as hell, making life difficult for his tormentors. Paul Bettany plays the ringleader of this operation. A search of the memory fails to turn up any examples of Bettany ever being so dull and disinteresting in a movie before.
A big problem with the movie is having Harrison Ford as the lead. This is Indiana Jones/Jack Ryan/Han Solo we're talking about here. Does anyone really think things will possibly end badly with this guy in the mix? Hell no. It's more a matter of waiting around for him to save the day, while absorbing a ton of punishment along the way. And since the plot seems like a fill in the blanks affair, any hope of tension or drama appearing is at best a pipe dream.
This is why he needs to takes some riskier roles. Sure, he played a villain once in What Lies Beneath but it wasn't a risky movie. He should try the occasional movie where everything doesn't turn out all right in the end. Something to undercut our long established confidence in him to save the day. Denzel Washington had the same problem for a long time until he did Training Day, playing a crooked and thoroughly despicable cop who does not have a happy ending. Not only did that change audience perception of him but everyone was so relieved that they gave him an Oscar for it. Ford could really use a moment like that.
I don't really have much else to say on the movie. It's not bad but is so relentlessly mediocre as to be nearly instantly forgettable. It mostly makes me sad that a new Harrison Ford movie isn't any sort of event any longer.
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