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Firewall

2.0 stars

By PETER KEOUGH | February 9, 2006

2.0 Stars

FIREWALL This rehash is about as exciting as it sounds.

You could trace a history of American anxiety through the bad guys Harrison Ford has had to fight to protect his on-screen family: industrialization in The Mosquito Coast(1987), the IRA in Patriot Games(1992), Russian terrorists in Air Force One (1997), himself in What Lies Beneath (2000). In Firewall he’s down to computer hackers, and this rehash is about as exciting as it sounds. Ford’s Jack Stanfield is a security wiz with a fabulous home, two spoiled children, and a trophy wife (Virginia Madsen). Then Paul Bettany’s slick thug takes them hostage and forces Jack to break into his own bank’s system. Ford looks annoyed that someone woke him up to act out this nonsense, though he does perform his own stunts, adding sweaty authenticity. Plus the film boasts Alan Arkin, Robert Forster, and Robert Patrick, who have maybe 10 lines among them. And what of the history of director Robert Loncraine, a decade after the brilliant Richard III?

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Watch the trailer for Firewall (QuickTime)

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