Firewall
This is the first movie I've seen with Harrison Ford in it since I met him. (Yes! I met him! How cool is that? We did not have a meaningful conversation or anything, but it was still pretty neat. And my kids' got his signature. Han Solo's signature! Sorry to all of you who've heard enough about this already.)
This movie totally sucked me in. I was tense pretty much the whole time, even during the opening credits, which is a montage of black and white surveillance photos of main character, Jack, and his family. (I also felt a little uncomfortable watching these creepy photos and realizing that I was doing the same thing when I took pictures of him at our little airport here. I'm not planning to use them for some evil purpose, but wouldn't it be weird if everybody wanted to take pictures of you? Weird and creepy.)
Yeah, so like I said, it totally sucked me in. For an action movie, it was surprisingly believable, with a minimum of "yeah, right" moments. And as Harrison Ford and the director pointed out in an interview on the DVD, they didn't resort to ridiculous space-age graphics on the computer screens. There was one important-to-the-plot shot with Jack's face reflected in the screen, which must have been somewhat manipulated into being, but no numbers and letters swirling around or anything stupid-looking like that. Which I appreciated.
Jon saw this on an airplane, but I think I might have to make him watch it again on a bigger screen someday. There are lots of movies with similar plots, where the bad guys hold the hero's family hostage and make him do bad stuff for them (like in the first season of 24), but Firewall was particularly good at getting me to alternately root for Jack against the bad guys and then Jack with the bad guys as he's actually committing the crime. It was good.
Yes. This was a good movie. I think Harrison Ford's movies usually are. I really like that he always seems like a pretty normal guy whenever he fights. He doesn't have all these amazing moves and he isn't invisible. Instead, he looks sort of clumsy sometimes and uses moves that any normal person would use if they were in that much danger. And he gets his butt kicked a ton before he finally gets rid of the bad guy. (He's like that in Indianna Jones, too.) I don't think I would ever like a movie with Harrison as the bad guy. It wouldn't work. I also really liked the other actor. What's his name? He was good as an evil man. The English accent always helps. Why? I have no idea... Oh, and I also like that they (the family)try a number of things to get away from the bad guys, but they get keep getting caught. Intense.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Daniel and I just started watching the first season of 24. Thanks a lot! Now I know the family is held hostage and Jack has to do bad stuff for the bad guys. As Garrett would say, "Fine! Blah, blah, blah." (I guess what you've revealed isn't really much of a revelation though is it?) :)
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry! But I really haven't given that much away. :) How much of 24 have you watched? Jon and I have watched 2 1/2 seasons of that, and I think the first was my favorite. Someday we'll get around to the rest of it, but for now it's nice not to be hooked on anything. I don't think I've heard Garrett say that. He's hilarious. Anyway, tell me what you think of 24. It's taken you long enough!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Harrison Ford does do the regular guy pretty well. I don't think he's a really amazing actor, but I like him anyway. Other "regular guy" roles are in The Fugitive and the Jack Ryan character (Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games, etc.). Although my favorite Jack Ryan was, strangely, Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October. I love that movie! I really don't like Alec Baldwin all that much, though he does do a great bad guy. Or maybe I mean sleazy guy (She's Having a Baby), or ruthless business man guy (Elizabethtown and Glengarry Glen Ross. Anyway, maybe Harrison Ford really is a guy like that--regular, but also good at stuff. You've heard about him being a pilot and doing search and rescue stuff. Apparently he's actually saved people from the sides of mountains. How would that be? To be saved by Indiana Jones! Wow.
ReplyDeleteSo far we've seen 4 episodes of 24. I am interested and want to see what happens. It's suspenseful and everything. But the goodie goodie in me is pretty disgusted with all the...well, wickedness in it. I mean, gross!! There are quite a few things that make me say, I can't believe Ethan watches this and then...why are we watching this? I think Daniel will get hooked faster than me. We are also sort of watching with a critical eye because we are the last of so many people to get into it. Mom and Amy talked about it like it was sooooo good so we have pretty high expectaions. And therefore we almost look for reasons not to like it. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure we'll like it like everyone else does.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I really like their camera work, the way they show a few different scenes at the same time or one scene from different angles. Clever.
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