Swordfish

In too many action movies, dazzling special effects, car chases, and hi-tech explosions act to stimulate the audience in lieu of, rather than as a complement to, a great storyline. Unfortunately, Swordfish is no exception.

Swordfish is the latest offering from Dominic Sena (Gone in 60 Seconds) and revolves around the world of hi-tech computer crime. John Travolta plays Gabriel Shear, a ruthless criminal with designs on stealing funds accumulated in an operation by the Drug Enforcement Agency--Operation Swordfish. However, to access this hidden stash of money, he needs the assistance of an expert hacker. Therefore, he sends his associate Ginger (Halle Berry) to recruit one of the world's best, Stanley Jobson (played by Hugh Jackman of X-Men and Someone Like You). Stanley has recently been released from prison for hacking into the FBI's system and taking down some of their surveillance programs. As a result of his capture and subsequent prison time, Stanley has not only been forbidden from ever touching a computer, he has also lost custody and the right to visit his daughter Holly (Camryn Grimes). Gabriel and Ginger prey on Stanley's weaknesses, offering him the resources to regain custody of his daughter if he assists them, figuring that to Stanley the risk would be well worth the reward.

After some consideration, Stanley decides to accompany Ginger to Los Angeles to meet Gabriel. After a bizarre initiation in which Stanley is forced to hack into the Department of Defense in sixty seconds while exposed to a variety of distractions (one of the funnier scenes in the movie), Gabriel decides Stanley is definitely the one to assist him in breaking into a bank's computer to access the Swordfish funds. Stanley is initially reluctant but agrees to help Gabriel when offered more than enough money to guarantee that he can regain custody of his daughter and live a productive life.

While the film's set up is promising, an increasingly complex story and gratuitous violence end up weakening it. Two characters, Ginger and a senator played by Sam Shepherd, reveal hidden motives, but unfortunately neither of the two storylines or characters are well-developed in the script. Gabriel racks up a fairly large body count in the course of the film. He kills several people during a car chase and has no qualms about sacrificing innocents when he and his associates hold-up a bank to access the Swordfish funds via computer. However, when Gabriel reveals the real purpose behind his penchant for violence and for wanting the stash of money, it seems somewhat silly and far-fetched. It would have almost been more plausible if he were merely seeking the money for his own material gratification.

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