Showing posts with label Virginia Madsen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia Madsen. Show all posts

Saturday, January 2, 2010

'Firewall' is predictable and run-of-the-mill

Firewall (2005)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen, Mary Lynn Rajskup, and Robert Patrick
Director: Richard Loncraine
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Computer security expert Jack Stansfield (Ford) must help a group of brutal bank robbers help rob the bank he works for if he is to see his family alive again.


"Firewall" is a straight-forward thriller of the "Everyman is blackmailed and threatened by bad guys, until he finally fights back and wins the day"-variety. There's nothing here that hasn't really been done in other films, but it uses its various tropes and plot pieces effectively and it keeps the tension up and the story moving at a fast clip.

The best part about this movie is that it is so straight-forward; it's downright refreshing to watch a movie where the creators don't feel an urge to throw in badly executed and ill-conceived "surprise developments" and "shocking twists."

I recommend "Firewall" if you want to see a good, old-fashioned thriller with a solid cast and a decent (but not overly original) script.