Production Year: 2001 - Action/Adventure - Director: Dominic Sena - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, Vinnie Jones, Camryn Grimes, Zach Grenier
Star John Travolta revisits the grinning villain territory he explored in BROKEN ARROW and FACE/OFF with this stylish, supercharged techno-thriller. He plays Gabriel, a... more
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Swordfish [2001]
The sort of action thriller for which the phrase "high octane" could have been conceived,
... more
Swordfish stars John Travolta as Gabriel Shear, an enigmatic criminal operator who is as admired as he is feared. Using sexy sidekick Ginger (Halle Berry) as bait...
Swordfish [2001]
The sort of action thriller for which the phrase "high octane" could have been conceived,
... more
Swordfish stars John Travolta as Gabriel Shear, an enigmatic criminal operator who is as admired as he is feared. Using sexy sidekick Ginger (Halle Berry) as bait...
SWORDFISH
A company which had shut down operations many years earlier has let its money sit around
... more
generating substantial compound interest and is now worth almost ten billion dollars. An anti-terrorist group needs the money to fight terrorism but cannot get at ...
Advantages: Quick Paced, Good Stunts/Acting Disadvantages: John Travolta, The Ending
...being a great actor. Swordfish is his latest film and he seems to fall somewhere in-between the two categories…
Plot – No Major Spoilers (But Feel Free To Skip!)
The film starts off with a bunch of hostages each with large amounts of explosives strapped to their bodies, and a smiling Gabriel Shear (John Travolta) explaining the problems with modern day Hollywood films – a strange combination! When the police decide to get a little ... ...you do) and says he’ll do the same to every other hostage if he has to – cue flashback, and much of the rest of the film explains how and why the situation occurred. Shear needs a hacker and enlists Stanley Jobson (played by Hugh Jackman) to help him. Now Stanley, who’s just got out of jail, just wants to be a good boy and get his daughter back (who is currently living with her alcoholic mother and porn-producing step-father) but ...
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You must have seen the advert. Action, guns, Travolta and Berry in her underwear. To be honest, I got all of these in the film, except it was obvious Halle Berry’s clip was there to attract the blokes.
The film opens with Travolta in a flickering, bad quality picture talking very intellectually about films. "Hollywood? They make shit!", seems to be his conclusion. It is clear from the start that this is a return to the Travolta I loved in ... ...With hair slicked back, a very ickle beard running from his lower lip, a cool voice, a cigar and an air of control around him, it was clear Travolta was going to run this film, and that he did.
The film moves on for the viewer to see the situation the film is in, a hostage situation. What followed did literally leave my mouth wide open, as my jaw dropped at the more than fantastic explosion, some of the best seconds of action I think I have ever ...
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Advantages: See text of opinion Disadvantages: See text of opinion
...at dooyoo!)
~ ~ Swordfish has a very unusual opening sequence.
We see Travolta’s character, Gabriel Shear, sitting drinking coffee and waxing lyrical about the shortcomings of Hollywood films.
"You know, the problem with Hollywood is that they make sh*t," he informs us, as he gives his critique of the old 1970’s movie, "Dog Day Afternoon".
In fact, I originally thought I’d pressed the wrong button on the DVD’s remote control, ... ...world-class hacker of this stature, Swordfish describes it for you very graphically. At least a dozen computer monitors are required, along with endless and copious amounts of wine and strong espresso coffee. Stanley bounces around like a demented rock star, juggling his various 3D and text images, and playing with his keyboards like a man possessed. Mind you, anyone would be wired to the moon after that amount of espresso and wine!! ~ ~ Other actors ...
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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. Roberts Vinnie Jones..........Marco ... ...Martin..........Axel Torvald Zach Grenier..........A.D. Joy Drea de Matteo.....Melissa Jobson ~Synopsis~ Stanley Jobson is a desperate computer expert who finds himself coerced into helping hack into complicated computer system in order to steal some vast sum of money that technically doesn't exist by Gabriel Shear, a mysterious figure, who may or may not work for people in high places. Stanley finds himself battling not only for his own survival, ...
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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 ... ...don’t like unhappy endings”. Gabriel seems to disagree and eventually gets up and leaves being confronted by a small group of swat teems, it is here we realize what has is happening.
I think I can say, without a doubt this film has one of the best openings I have ever seen. There is an explosion (I wont tell you how it occurs) then some amazing special effects as the camera seems to follow the shock wave tossing people and cars, it was ...
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Actor(s): John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, Vinnie Jones, Camryn Grimes, Zach Grenier
Director(s): Dominic Sena
Genre: Action & Adventure
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 2001
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: A company which had shut down operations many years earlier has let its money sit around generating substantial compound interest and is now worth almost ten billion dollars. An anti-terrorist group needs the money to fight terrorism but cannot get at it. They bring in computer hacker Stanley Jobson to break into the government mainframe but he only wants to see his daughter again...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date: 28/01/2002
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: D 021322
Barcode: 7321900213226
Screenwriter: Skip Woods
Composer: Christopher Young, Paul Okenfold
Executive Producer: Bruce Berman, Joel Silver, Jim Van Wyck
Director of Photography: Paul Cameron
Producer: Dan Cracchiolo, Joel Silver, Jonathan Krane, Bruce Berman
Star John Travolta revisits the grinning villain territory he explored in BROKEN ARROW and FACE/OFF with this stylish, supercharged techno-thriller. He plays Gabriel, a charismatic, fast-living mystery man who, with help from his right-hand woman, Ginger (Halle Berry), recruits ex-con and former master hacker Stan (Hugh Jackman) to aid in a plan to steal billions from a secret government bank account. Stan reluctantly agrees to help in order to finance the legal battle for custody of his young daughter (Camryn Grimes). Meanwhile an FBI computer crimes specialist (Don Cheadle) is determined to find out what's about to go down, and plans to use Stan to find out. The movie amply earns its keep by cleverly zig-zagging away from audience's expectations and delivering many clever, pulse-pounding action set pieces--including an incredible opening explosion, a car chase through downtown Los Angeles replete with blazing machine guns, and a spectacular airborne climax. With the help of a propulsive electronica score by DJ Paul Okenfold, director Dominic Sena (GONE IN 60 SECONDS) lays down lots of style, and Travolta is mesmerizing in his juicy role.
Technical information
Special Features: Audio Commentary, Alternative Endings, The Making Of, Featurette, Restricted Files Featurette
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English French
Professional reviews
Review: "...Enjoyably corrupt....[Travolta] electrifies the space around him with his mellifluous and cocky authority..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.56, 15/06/2001)
"...[Jackman] steals the show, much as he did in X-MEN, investing his character with a steely resolve..." (Sight and Sound, p.54-5, 01/09/2001)
"...It's Jackman who tears away with most of the scenes....The man, quite simply, is a star..." (Total Film, p.98, 01/09/2001)
"...The movie has constant mayhem and a speedy pace..." (USA Today, p.9E, 08/06/2001)
"...Mounted in breathlessly stylish fashion, with a great-looking cast....It's turbo-charged, with hyper-realistic, attenuated slo-mo action shots..." (Variety, p.16-23, 04/06/2001)
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Listed on Ciao since : 29/06/2001
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