Swordfish feels like a forgotten action film. No one talks about it, it seems to have made it’s initial splash and then vanished from the general public’s memory, and while it isn’t a fantastic action film, it’s fun, and it has a very good cast Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, Vinnie Jones, Zach Grenier, Carmen Argenziano, and John Travolta deliciously chewing the scenery.
Black Cell is a covert counter-terrorist unit, so covert it may be a complete black op that may not actually exist. It’s led by Gabriel (Travolta), and he is keen to get some finances for his activities. It seems there are millions of dollars tucked away in a hidden bank account, just sitting there gaining interest, and he needs a hacker to break in to it and help him steal it.
He has Ginger (Berry) begin overtures to Stanley (Jackman) a hacker who has been busted, living in a trailer, and lamenting the fact that his daughter, Holly (Camryn Grimes) is being raised by his ex, Melissa (Drea de Matteo) and her new husband. The financial benefits of taking the job will set Stanley up for life, and help get Holly back, unless he gets caught by a cyber-terrorist investigative unit led by Roberts (Cheadle).
There are plans within plans and you can never believe anything Gabriel shows you. There are some nice action sequences, the occasional iffy effect, Sowrdfish’s version of bullet-time, and some gratuitous nudity, and yet this film seems to have disappeared completely.
It’s enjoyable though. I’ve always liked Jackman, and delight in seeing Travolta play an unhinged villain with a plan and agenda, and the rest of the cast? Come on! It’s a slick, occasionally sexy, action thriller that serves as a wonderful popcorn movie, even if it doesn’t have much else to redeem it outside its cast.
Sena brings a fast-paced, neon-drenched, glossy feel to the film, a product of his music video origins, and it serves the story wonderfully, keeping things moving, visually and sonically. There aren’t many movies that have fallen so completely off my radar as this one has. You could mention several 80s action films and I could tell you tons about this one, but I saw this one, on DVD, back when it first came to home video, and I haven’t spoken of it since, nor has anyone I’ve known brought it up.
Weird.
If you haven’t seen it, take a look, it’s interesting to see lots of Marvel alumni in this R-rated action flick.