"The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the ...
"The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug." (Mark Twain)
Member since:23.06.2001
Reviews:16
Members who trust:6
The Plot ---------- Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman) is one of the world’s famous hackers. He recently came out of jale where he was the last 18 months. Short after that, Ginger (Halle Berry) comes to visit him: her boss Gabriel (John Travolta) offers Stan 1 Million for programming a worm that cracks the system of a bank Gabriel wants to rob.
Stan is scared of going back to jale but on the other hand he needs money to release his 10 year old daughter Holly (Camryn Grimes) from his exwife (who drinks) and her husband (who produces pornos). At the moment he is not even allowed to see his daughter. So, he makes the deal with Gabriel.
Gabriel, years ago one of the best spys of the CIA, works against terrorists worldwide, he “protects the freedom of the americans” – that means that he sells weapons. He thinks: better they shoot each other than they shoot us. 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 him. Agent Roberts (Don Cheadle) wants him to cooperate. But Stan does’nt – at the moment. The whole story leads to a dramatic climax where a hostage is bombed and Holly’s and Ginger’s lifes are threatened.
What I think --------------- The film starts with the beginning of the end, goes back to the past the and leads us to the presence after explaining what happened the last days. That is nicely done, even if it is nor a new technique in movies.
The three main parts are casted very well with Jackman, Travolta and Berry. Hugh Jackman typifys the toulsed hacker with dream in his eyes and a dream body… The scenes when he programes and trys to find new ideas, seem a bit unreal (noone programs like that) but apart from that I really liked his starring/ John Travolta acts very good as Gabriel, man of the underground.
The first scene is a monologue about “why in film always the good boys win – and why can it not be different?” by Gabriel. This scene can be understood at the end of the film, which I won’t tell you. But in my opinion it is not really necessary.
In a movie like this, some action can’t be far: the shown action scenes are known: shooting and hunting on the motorway, bomb explosions, at last a flying bus (it hangs on a helicopter). But some scenes are very tenseful and quick, so the film does not get boring.
Summary ---------- In addition of everything, I can recommend the film. It seems to be difficult to make really good films about computer hackers – the public may be impressed by a few animations and many numbers – but it is just unreal. Ob the other hand, you can not bore the audience with real program code, because they would not understand it… difficult, that. This is the weak link of the film – everything else is really ok.
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Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
i have not seen this film but sounds like a 'must see' film .. Wolfie
aragorn2001 13.07.2002 22:32
I didn't like this film, it was much more unreal than James Bond in his best times.
LostWitness 09.02.2002 17:27
A good review of the film! I really enjoyed Swordfish - plenty of action to keep you occupied. I thought the sequences with the hijacked bus were very innovative and lifted this film above the competition. Cheers, Phil :0)
The sort of action thriller for which the phrase "high octane" could have been ... more
conceived,Swordfishstars 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, ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The sort of action thriller for which the phrase "high octane" could have been ... more
conceived,Swordfishstars 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, ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Log on. Hack in. Go anywhere. Steal everything. John Travolta stars as Gabriel Shear a ... more
sinister mastermind with an elite criminal crew who are desperately trying to access information locked inside a complicated computer system that contains governme...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Log on, tap in and kick back for cyber-edged action and suspense. Your password for ... more
excitement is SWORDFISH.Use a computer, go to prison. The terms of Stanley Jobson's (Hugh Jackman - X-Men) parole are clear. Yet a $10 million payday awaits the super h...
![Swordfish [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78531121.jpg "Swordfish [DVD] [2001]")
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