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Parents' Guide to

Firewall

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Harrison Ford as action hero again. Teens and up.

Movie PG-13 2006 104 minutes
Firewall Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

garfield2711
garfield2711 Adult
August 3, 2009
age 12+

Harrison Ford Returns, and is out to save his family.

This movie is an excellant treat for teens and up. The "F" word is used once, and GD is used 5 times. Several men are shot, 1 dies in an explosion, another is blungeoned by a blender, and another is impaled by a pick axe. Family is shown in a positive light and is shown as extremely important. The action and fast pacing, makes this 2 hour film seem to go by super fast. Watch out for the double surprise twist ending.
Tsion
Tsion Parent of 13-year-old
June 19, 2009
age 13+

Taut and Thrilling...Ford's Best Since THE FUGITIVE

This movie is a perfect thriller. It will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, and you won't be able to take your eyes from it. It is action-packed, smart, and completely riveting. The bad news: it isn't appropriate for young kids. While the actual violence seen onscreen isn't that bad (no worse than, say, Indiana Jones), the film has a constant feel of peril and imminent danger, as Ford's family is held hostage. The main villain's cool, collected manner is frightening. He kills without remorse, and the thought of what he might do to Ford's family will be too overpowering for kids. In addition, a few people are shot (some blood seen), and one man has a nasty bout with a pickaxe, resulting in his impalement. Another man is beaten to death with a blender. There is also some mild, but pervasive language ("s**t", "d**n", "a*s", "screw you") in addition to one "f**k".
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In FIREWALL, computer genius and bank security expert Jack (Harrison Ford) works for a Seattle bank, lives with his family in a gorgeous house designed by his architect wife Beth (Virginia Madsen), and worries a bit about new guy Gary's (Robert Patrick) idea that the bank shouldn't assume costs of fraud and hacking -- he wants to pass on costs to customers. Jack's own info is hacked by a crew of crooks, led by Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), who use it to break into his home, take his wife and kids hostage, and force him to transfer millions to their account. Bill has installed surveillance devices in Jack's home, car, and office. Though Jack tries initially to outsmart Bill, but when the bad guy harms his son, the concerned father moves the funds. Eventually Jack must retaliate, committing his own deceptions and acts of deadly violence. Though he doesn't get much help from boss (Alan Arkin) or his law enforcement veteran buddy Harry (Robert Forster), Jack does get support from his assistant Janet (Mary Lynn Rajskub).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Though Firewall takes up the topical focus of fears of surveillance, it offers precious few new ideas. Once again, Harrison Ford must save his family from violent outlaws, grimacing and flailing as he discovers that "going along" only inspires the bad guys to do more damage. Lesson to be learned: You gotta fight back!

The surveillance cams all yield distressingly grainy fisheye-lens images designed to generate viewer tension. Mary Lynn Rajskub plays a variant of Chloe, her much beloved character on 24, splendidly. Her character's relationship with Jack -- slightly offbeat, based in Ford's signature vulnerability, as well as a trust born of necessity -- brings welcome freshness to an otherwise predictable plot.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the insecurity of online exchanges, of information, money, and identities. What does Jack's change from compliant victim to agitated hero suggest about the consequences of pushing "nice guys" to the edge? How must Jack give up some of his authority (at least until the film's climax), to prevail over his more predictable enemies?

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