Jack Stansfield (Harrison Ford), a family man who runs the computer security at a major multinational bank, finds himself having to hack his own system to help a high-tech bank robber (Paul Bettany) who has kidnapped Jack's family.

The story is rather old yet this type of movie can still make for a good popcorn film. Some action, thrills and humor with a little substance can equal a good time at the movies. However, Firewall doesn't fit this description. It is a dull, empty and generic thriller that offers very little. The first forty five minutes move very slowly and nothing really happens. The characters are all one dimensional and boring and the story is just too straightforward and unoriginal. The second half of the movie is a bit more exciting. The film even manages to produce some exciting scenes though they are few and far in between.

The only reason why this film went to theaters instead of video is because of the cast. Most of the actors give pretty good performances which saves the film from being really bad. Harrison Ford is over 60 years old yet he's still a better action star than some people in their 30s. He gives a decent performance as Jack but he doesn't really seem to be trying. Virginia Madsen plays his wife and she offers a good performance. It's easy to see why they want her in the next Indiana Jones movie. Paul Bettany plays the villain and he gives a good performance even though his character is a little weak and not very scary. The worst performance in the movie goes to Mary Lynn Rajskub who plays Janet. Her performance is really bad and she doesn't even seem to be trying. She carries the same expression and tone throughout the entire movie. It is scary that she manages to get work. The kids in the movie are okay and they are tolerable.

If you do give the movie a try, then don't take it too seriously. It is not realistic at all which is obvious but sometimes people forget that when they watch this type of movie. It is also very easy to see where things are going so if you want something that will test you, then don't watch it. They try to build up suspense with loud music but it doesn't work very well. Richard Loncraine did a good job with Wimbledon but he does a poor job here. Maybe the problem is the script which could have been written by a nine-year old. Joe Forte is a rookie writer and that's pretty obvious. He fills the script with a bunch of clichés and they're all a bit tiring and old. Honestly, Firewall isn't far from a television film and it isn't really worth watching in theaters. In the end, Firewall is just another generic thriller that's not really worth watching. Rating 3/10