Swordfish (Wide Screen) > Reviews

Advantages: Beautifully orchestrated action sequences.
Disadvantages: Very little else.

You have 60 seconds to read this op. I often find that people use the word gratuitous gratuitously. A bit of ankle is gratuitous nudity, the odd heck is gratuitous language and the occasional stubbed toe is gratuitous violence. But this film is just that. Gratuitous to the extreme. ~Cast~ John Travolta..........Gabriel Shear Hugh Jackman.......Stanley Jobson Halle Berry..............Ginger Knowles Don Cheadle..........Agent A.D. ... Read review

Advantages: lots of actions
Disadvantages: maybe confusing at times

...have seen from the adverts Swordfish is an action film, but with a bit of everything. It stars a very sleek looking John Travolta, playing Gabriel the bad guy of the film. Hugh Jackman playing Stanley, once one of the best computer hackers in the world, now living in a caravan unable to see his daughter his one hope in life, and halle Berry playing Ginger who seems to work for Gabriel. The film opens with Gabriel discussing films and how, why the ... Read review

Advantages: Good opening sequence. Hugh Jackman. Cool soundtrack.
Disadvantages: Seen it all before. Will date easily. Ending a bit ropey.

A magazine consists of three essential elements. Staples to hold the whole thing together, pages to make up the bulk, and a celebrity feature to make you buy it. And once you've read the celebrity feature, there's only usually a couple of things to read in the magazine to hold your interest. The same applies to this desperate attempt to create a cool, modern thriller. This is (the clumsily titled) Swordfish. ***THE PLOT*** The story follows ... Read review

Advantages: Travolta, Jackman and Halle's bits
Disadvantages: Daft

...to whet our appetite, because Swordfish has enough tricks and dips to keep you going for hours without the gratuitous soft porno scenes. Aye, let's not get too worked up and morally uptight because increasingly sex is an ever present thing in the modern day world of cinema - why even JRR Tolkien's sword and sorcery works get the misty eyed lust treatment with Strider double dealing with an elf and a human princess while Legolamb and Gimlet get ... Read review

Advantages: great acting from all involved, even Vinnie Jones!, Not the usual summer blockbuster, so offers something the others don’t., The directing and production, exemplified by the first few sequences of the film
Disadvantages: Is a little inconsistent in places, Look at John Travolta’s hair cut!!

Looking for a movie in the recent abyss of those the cinema is offering. Didn’t fancy seeing ‘Recess’ and the boyfriend refused to see ‘Cats and Dogs’ which was my choice so the only viable alternative (having already seen Jurassic Park 3) was Swordfish. I have been suffering from a recent bout of an illness I simply cannot get rid of and so have not been out of the house a lot lately, being extremely tired I half expected ... Read review

Advantages: Exciting, visually impressive
Disadvantages: Slightly cliched

...off and relax – and Swordfish was one of the more popular cinema releases of 2001, so I was hoping for good things. Stanley Jobson is a former world-class computer hacker. Following a prison sentence, Jobson is on parole, and lives a paltry existence, sleeping and eating in a rusty old trailer van, forbidden to access any computer system. One evening, Stanley is visited at home by a beautiful young woman, Ginger, who advises that her employer ... Read review

Advantages: Great story, loads of action
Disadvantages: No need for the shots of Halle Berrys breasts

...seconds starring Nicolas Cage, but Swordfish is much better and a lot more interesting. Here’s the story In the opening scene Gabriel (John Travolta) is giving a speech about how terrible modern Hollywood cinema is and discusses Dog Day Afternoon. Then we realise Gabriel is in a similar robbery situation as Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon. There is a spectacular explosion and a swirling Matrix type of circling shot in slow motion. Then ... Read review

Advantages: All your fav people in one film
Disadvantages: 95mins a bit short

...other Information // You can buy Swordfish on video or even DVD. It comes in a black plastic hard case video cover, with a PVC label which has Swordfish in Green and pictures of Stanley, Gabriel, Ginger and the FBI agent sitting down in front of a lap top computer. At the back of the box is a small description of what the film is about and how it’s classified and some other additional information and some small images which are small clips of the ... Read review

Advantages: Engaging from start to finish
Disadvantages: n/a

...only saw the trailer to Swordfish last week when i went to see Tomb Raider and was pretty impressed, so when my plans to take my niece to watch Shrek on my afternoon off yesterday fell apart, i wasn't very chuffed as i really wanted to watch it. Nevertheless, i soldiered on pretty determined to do so, but the sight of all those kiddies in front of me in the queue clampering to buy tickets put me off. I wasn't brave enough to be the only solo ... Read review

Advantages: Good acting
Disadvantages: See above

...a couple of clips of Swordfish and thought that it looked excellent so decided to spend the hard earned cash to give it a go. I was however slightly disappointed. It makes it appear in the trailers that it is an action film but it is actually a really slow thriller. Don’t get me wrong it is entertaining but I was slightly let down. The plot involves Gabriel Shear (John Travolta) is a rich guy who does what he likes. What he wants most though ... Read review

Advantages: Great Sound & Picture, Highly Entertaining, Good Extras
Disadvantages: Not That Subtle

...terrorists understand. In a way Swordfish reminds me of all the un-apologetic action films to come out of the eighties. My only problem with it that some of it is shot like a music video whihc can be explained by the fact that music video/commercials director Dominic Sena (Gone In 60 Seconds) is sitting in the directors chair. But don't let that put you off, this is far better than his last film and if I still haven't persuaded you then Halle ... Read review

Advantages: good actors, nice story
Disadvantages: something seems unreal, strange, known

...15 years ago the operation Swordfish was cancelled and on the account of the dummy-company for this operation were 400 Million Dollars. Through interest this money is now worth 9 billion. Gabriel wants to steal this money. At the beginning, Stan seems to have a normal and fair deal with Gabriel – he programs, Gabriel gives him the money. But Stan gets deeper and deeper into the whole thing – he finds out strange things, the FBI interviews ... Read review