Firewall (2006)

Harrison Ford plays Jack Stanfield, a man trying to protect his family, including daughter Sarah (Carly Schroeder) and wife Beth (Virginia Madsen)

It is significant that Ford's first movie in years is not one of those serious dramas or offbeat comedies that he used to make whenever he wanted to prove that there was more to him than stunts and action sequences. Instead, Firewall is a back-to-the-basics thriller that echoes several of Ford's better-known films, such as Patriot Games and Air Force One. Once again, bad guys threaten his wife and children, and he does all the growling and punching that it takes to keep his family safe. The climactic fight scenes, which feature imperiled children and take place in an isolated locale, are reminiscent of Witness; and there are even elements of The Fugitive. But by bringing those other films to mind, Firewall underscores its own weaknesses; it simply lacks the firepower, the iconic status, the cultural subtext and the engaging supporting actors that made Ford's other suspense flicks so much fun.

Paul Bettany as Bill Cox, who has Jack Stanfield covered

The basic set-up is as potboiler as it gets. Ford plays Jack Stanfield, a security-systems specialist whose home is invaded—and whose family is taken hostage—by a team of armed criminals intent on coercing Jack into helping them steal millions of dollars. (Jack's son is even played by Jimmy Bennett, who had almost the exact same role in last year's Hostage.) At first, everything seems to be going methodically according to the villains' plan; every time Jack puts up the least bit of resistance, it turns out the bad guys have anticipated him, even to the point of deleting his e-mail as he tries to write it. But then, their plan hits a snag. It turns out Jack's bank is on the verge of merging with a much larger entity, and the hardware necessary to carry out the heist is no longer there in the building. For the first time, Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), the leader of the bad guys, seems unsure of what to do; so he orders Jack to come up with a plan of his own, or else his wife and children will die.

The Stanfield family is held hostage in their own home

None of this is particularly believable, of course. Ford, at 63, is a bit old for a computer whiz with two young children (their mother is played by the 42-year-old Virginia Madsen), and you get the feeling he is a tad self-conscious about this, hence the various scenes in which Jack demonstrates his knowledge of hacker jargon and impresses his younger co-workers, and even the younger villains, with his computer skills. The script, by Joe Forte, makes fitful efforts to give the bad guys some dimension, especially when the Stanfields try to persuade Bill's underlings to turn against him, but it doesn't work; we have no idea who these guys are or why they work for Bill, and they are never more than human plot devices.

Plus, things get particularly unbelievable in the film's third act. Laymen like me, who are only semi-literate in the ways of computers, might be inclined to sit back and accept, just for the sake of argument, that everything Bill and Jack do in the bank's offices is electronically feasible. But there's something patently absurd about driving all night into the middle of nowhere while making use of a laptop and a cell phone that apparently have an endless power supply and an ability to pick up wireless connections from miles away. And then you have to ask yourself whether a bunch of murderous villains would tolerate the Stanfield family's yapping, bothersome dog anywhere near as long as they do.

You don't wanna mess with Harrison Ford when he's ticked off

Christian audience members might take note, however, of the fact that one of the key minor characters, a young co-worker of Jack's named Bobby (Matthew Currie Holmes), is a born-again Christian who flirts amiably with Jack's secretary (Mary Lynn Rajskub), plays guitar in a worship band and has "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" as a ring-tone on his cell phone. He's a caricature, perhaps, but a friendly one; and between this and the "Jesus rocks!" neighbors from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, it would seem that evangelical Christians are on their way to becoming the quirky sidekicks that gay characters have been for years.

The film isn't a complete write-off. Directed by Richard Loncraine (Richard III, Wimbledon), the film has some good, suspenseful moments, and the characters are admirably clever once in a while. But there's just not a whole lot to get excited about here.