2008 Woodie Awards
Veteran actor disappoints with generic thriller
By Seth Pardick
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/17/06 Section: Entertainment
In Harrison Ford's new action vehicle, "Firewall," a group of thieves (led by Paul Bettany) invade Ford's home, holding the family (and their dog Rusty) hostage, demanding that Ford, who plays chief of security for a banking chain, steal for them $100 million from accounts belonging to clients of the bank. The criminals have been watching his family closely; they even know that his son is allergic to nuts. Their plan seems foolproof; they even keep an eye on Ford with high-tech gadgets, making sure he doesn't alert the authorities.
But (gasp) things begin to go wrong for Bettany's bandits. They are not prepared for the bank's updated security system. One bandit's incompetence stirs Bettany's anger to the breaking point. But what truly goes wrong for them is Harrison Ford, whom they apparently did not assume would be as resourceful as MacGyver, as indestructible as Clark Kent, and as persistent as Sisyphus. By the end of the film (skip down to the next paragraph immediately if you don't want me to "spoil" it for you), the five well-armed bandits have been killed, while the unarmed Ford (if you don't count his fists of steel) and his family, as well as Rusty (whose collar provides the screenplay with a neat way in which Ford can track down the kidnappers), survive without a single gunshot wound.
Is Harrison Ford still the right actor to play this role? It's been almost three decades since Ford first appeared as Han Solo, two decades since he donned the Amish garb and turned a silo into a shooting gallery in "Witness," and over a decade since he eluded Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive." With "Indiana Jones 4" scheduled for a 2007 release, it seems likely that Ford will not be shattering any perceptions in the near future. The implausible plot aside, the film's major flaw is that it completely squanders an incredible cast. In fact, the cast is much better than an obtuse "thriller" like this even deserves. Perhaps a few of these actors lost rather substantial bets with Ford, who, in lieu of monetary compensation, required the losers to star alongside him in this movie. It is odd that director Richard Loncraine avoids letting the most well-known actors do very much acting at all; it seems at times like he is deliberately avoiding them.
But (gasp) things begin to go wrong for Bettany's bandits. They are not prepared for the bank's updated security system. One bandit's incompetence stirs Bettany's anger to the breaking point. But what truly goes wrong for them is Harrison Ford, whom they apparently did not assume would be as resourceful as MacGyver, as indestructible as Clark Kent, and as persistent as Sisyphus. By the end of the film (skip down to the next paragraph immediately if you don't want me to "spoil" it for you), the five well-armed bandits have been killed, while the unarmed Ford (if you don't count his fists of steel) and his family, as well as Rusty (whose collar provides the screenplay with a neat way in which Ford can track down the kidnappers), survive without a single gunshot wound.
Is Harrison Ford still the right actor to play this role? It's been almost three decades since Ford first appeared as Han Solo, two decades since he donned the Amish garb and turned a silo into a shooting gallery in "Witness," and over a decade since he eluded Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive." With "Indiana Jones 4" scheduled for a 2007 release, it seems likely that Ford will not be shattering any perceptions in the near future. The implausible plot aside, the film's major flaw is that it completely squanders an incredible cast. In fact, the cast is much better than an obtuse "thriller" like this even deserves. Perhaps a few of these actors lost rather substantial bets with Ford, who, in lieu of monetary compensation, required the losers to star alongside him in this movie. It is odd that director Richard Loncraine avoids letting the most well-known actors do very much acting at all; it seems at times like he is deliberately avoiding them.
