Swordfish

Rating:
Summary: you didn't just see this . it just saw you.
Review: it is like the French Connection with the Matrix mixed in.
Berry is brillaint in her role
Jackman is great and derivative too
Travolta is very shocking with his role

in this movie in a way you really don't know if the guys who Jackman is hacking for are really good or bad

even the ending is quite puzzling
a sign of a sequal perhaps?
or more details we have to fill in for ourselves to fully understand the whole movie?

I like that we get to think for ourselves what the ending means or conveys

very powerful movie
some laughs
some shocks
great action
great action scenes
brilliant scripting and directing

the whole movie is a tour de force snapped up 8 notches with slight action and more emotion to it

if you like Berry see: Gothika, Bulworth, and other movies
if you like Hugh Jackman: see this movie, X men 1 and 2, and other movies

if you like Travolta see: Grease, Look who's talking movies, Phenomenon, Face off. and other movies

this was a great purchase for a dvd movie
glad I saw it

the trailer for it compelled me to see it
and I loved it from start to end

kept me puzzeld at times

as I had said before

see this movie

it will truly shock you to the max at times

oh and it will be watched mor eand more every day or week. because over the next 90 years. this movie wills stay a classic in the movie era.

Rating:
Summary: I liked it, but...
Review: Okay, having read other reviews, I'm wondering at the relative IQ level or at least how slow to pickup and follow plot twists. The plot was easy to follow for me, I understood the whole misdirection thing and was even surprised once or twice when "I didn't see that coming" was appropriate.

Yes, they gave Hugh Jackman's hacker character WAY too much luck/skill; i.e. a 60 sec hack into a high level government system with NO prep, NO plan and what amounts to a PC DOESN'T happen, gun-to-his-head or no. Even hackers with photographic memories keep notes and need time. The addition of CRAY servers or multiple Dell systems would help process faster, but wouldn't make Hugh Jackman any more powerful, just faster (surface level). The addition of Stanley's daughter being used as incentive for him to do his deed was alright to add some depth; personally, I'd like to have seen his loss of an ex-wife get used as such, then, right before he breaks the code, she gets killed (an interesting twist and no loss to the gene pool).

Halle Barry's nude scene was definitely (as defined by the dictionary) gratuitous, but it didn't offend me as a fan. Like, I wasn't thinking "AW COME ON, THEY DID THAT FOR THE RATINGS ONLY!". It was a flash of what the fans wanted to see and didn't instantly turn the character or the actress into a whore.

John Travolta's character was (and I'm no expert here) a fresh concept, and well played by the actor. An anti-terrorist willing to sacrifice lives for the greater good isn't something that jumps out at me as "been there, done that". The movie ended with news clips of international terrorists being killed off by Gabriel (or whatever his name turned out to be). I'd like something like THAT to happen in reality: a non-governmental agency killing off enemies of the U.S. (or anyone, as terrorists are slugs) without causing an international incident or anti-U.S. sentiment.

But that's an opinion ... actually this whole thing is an opinion. So take it for what it's worth, but watch/rent the movie once and form your own, buy if you liked it. [...]

Rating:
Summary: Carping About "Swordfish"
Review: Movie: **1/2 DVD Quality: ***** DVD Extras: ***

Stripped down to its bare bones, "Swordfish" is simply another caper/heist movie in which an ex-con trying to go straight (Hugh Jackman) is pressured into doing a job for a powerful underworld figure (John Travolta) and finds himself enmeshed in double-dealing and intrigue. You've seen variations on this plot dozens of times before, in movies that are sometimes better and often worse than this one. The specific problem with "Swordfish" is that the filmmakers knew they had nothing special going on in terms of the script, and so they decided to throw in some special effects (involving first a massive explosion and later a airborne bus) that "hadn't been done before" ... at least, that's how the filmmakers themselves explain it in the "Making of" documentary included on the DVD! And sure enough, these contrivances end up making the movie seem, well ... contrived. Certainly the effects detract from the actors, which is a shame because Jackman and leading lady Halle Berry (both of whom bare their very attractive chests) actually give strong performances, as does Don Cheadle in a throwaway supporting role. These three come off much better than does top-billed John Travolta, who here looks very puffy and turns in a rather hammy performance as the suave criminal mastermind.

Technically, the DVD is actually superb in terms of video and audio quality. The DVD extras, which would normally be a welcome bonus, in this case detract from the enjoyment of the film because, as noted earlier, the filmmakers tend to reveal a little bit more than they intended to about the film's structural weaknesses. "Swordfish" is one of those movies that is best enjoyed if you don't analyze it too much afterwards.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie.
Review: When this movie debuted in theaters amidst some heavy criticism about lack of imagination and story, I was kind of put-off by it. I really was wanting to see it because I'm a fan of Hugh Jackman because of the X-Men movies, and I generally cannot pass up an opportunity to watch Halle Berry, who is in my opinion one of the sexiest women in Hollywood. So, I went against my better judgment and didn't see the movie until it came to DVD, and needless to say, the critics were way wrong. I was surprised by how good this movie was, it was well crafted and the acting was great.

The actors in the movie were excellent, John Travolta playing the villain (something he does more and more these days) was very complicated because he was bad, yet his motives weren't purely evil. Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, who acted together in X-Men and X2: X-Men United, were wonderful together, the sexual tension between the two was well played and very realistic. Out of the cast my favorite was Halle Berry, she really showed a new side of herself by playing a character that was ambiguous for the most part, and turned out to be bad, a part she hadn't played previously, and she seemed to enjoy playing up the sex appeal of the character, which was evident in her very popular topless sun-tanning scene. (...) Those two scenes are perfect examples of how sexuality can be a very powerful asset, and Halle uses her "assets" to her advantage. Another side-effect of the topless scene was Halle's newfound courage and confidence in her sexuality that enabled her to do Monster's Ball and go on to win an Oscar for her powerful, raw performance.

The one complaint I have about this movie, has more to do with the DVD than the movie, is the ending, I liked the ending, that is until I watched the alternate endings in the special features, I liked one of the alternate endings more, and that's something that really frustrates me. If the decide to end the movie one way, but allow you to see the alternate ending on the DVD release, and the alternate ending is more satisfactory, then you're left wanting to see it included in the movie. The reason I wasn't as happy with the standard ending is because there isn't a great resolution to the story, Hugh Jackman's character gets his kid back but you don't know if he retained any of the money or not, from the way it ends it appears that John Travolta and Halle Berry wound up with all of the money, which wouldn't hold true to Hugh's character. All of those items are clearly explained in the alternate ending.

The movie is rated R, for violence, language, sexuality, and brief nudity.

Rating:
Summary: sword-suck
Review: This movie is so bad.
However, I didn't really mind watching it once I turned off any and all critical thinking ability. The beginning is awesome, Travolta captures your attention immediately, they blow up a young girl and half of S.W.A.T. and theres a cool CGI 360 degrees of explosive goodness. And then... well, then you should turn it off.... or fast forward to the gratuitous shot of Halle Berry (...)then turn it off. Hugh Jackman was decent as the "brilliant hacker"- until he started hacking... and then the cheese factor overwhelmed me. The plot- if you could call it that- was so forced and choppy that it felt like they had taken clips from Speed, FaceOff, The Net, and every other FBI agent movie ever, put them in a hat, and picked scenes/story bits at random. I liked how Travolta's character was a smart villian. Finally, a bad guy with a brain! But the whole movie is given away in the first 5 minutes. And Berry's character comes across as a dumb (...)- not a manipulative genius.

The whole thing was over the top, ridiculous, implausible, and frankly- silly.

Rating:
Summary: An Action Movie is entertainement...and this one is!
Review: Sometimes people forget that films(specially action films) are made to entertain people...not much more than that!!! You can cry, laugh, be afraid and all but if a viewer is not entertained he will simply leave theater!!!

Swordfish is all about that - pure entertainment. Far from reality? Of course, what good action film is not? Does people believe that machines like in Terminator exist!? Or that undead and elvs are walking around the city at night!?
So saying that it is not good cause it is not believable...Not a good point!
That said, Swordfish is a rollercoaster, amazing special effects, very good twisting story, good acting, awesome scenes.
If you didn't forget yet that films are made so that people have fun...then you will love it!

Rating:
Summary: Last Week's Fish
Review: SWORDFISH is one of the worst films of recent memory. A cyberheist movie with an overly convoluted and meandering plotline and a few disinteresting hyperpryrotechnic set pieces, this adds yet another project to the list of recent Travolta stinkers.

Travolta plays Gabriel, an arrogant self-appointed vigilante who resorts to thieving and the murder of innocents to finance his antiterrorist schemes. Halle Berry is his accomplice. She manages to entice Hugh Jackman, who plays the world's greatest hacker, into working for them by gratuitously exposing her breasts on camera. Jackman's adolescent spastic, drooling reaction is indicative of the maturity level of this film.

As one of the characters says, referencing DOG DAY, "It's a morality play. The bad guys can't win." In SWORDFISH the audience can't win. It's eminently unwatchable.

Rating:
Summary: THE FLYING BUS
Review: If nothing else, this movie blows you away (no pun intended) with three awesome set pieces:
1. The opening 360 degree angle on the exploding hostage is as disturbing as this kind of scene can get.
2. Travolta and Jackman's wild ride through the streets of LA has unusual twists and explosive action.
3. The flying bus at the climax is original and nervewracking, and the movie's set piece.
Actually, even though John Travolta's turn as Gabriel Sear, is another scenery-chomping bit of excellence, the movie really belongs to Hugh Jackman. Jackman, a Tony winner for the life of Peter Allen, proves his versatility in this heroic role. Rumors of his being considered for the New James Bond should blossom, as I feel Jackman would make a great 007.
Of all the movies I've seen the talented Halle Berry, this is one of her least effective performances. Boobs aside, Berry doesn't really do anything but add sexual tension. Considering her emotional speech when she won her Oscar about bringing non-Caucasian females their first best actress, you'd think she'd stop making movies like this and DIE ANOTHER DAY, where her physical attributes are more important than her acting ability. CATWOMAN is another example of this. Halle is a fine actress, but she needs to start acting again, instead of strutting her stuff.
Overall, this is one of those adrenaline hormonal pictures but done with enough style and panache to be recommended.

Rating:
Summary: This Sword is as Dull as Can Be
Review: Swordfish is a high gloss, low concept action film without a smidgen of reality. Everything in this film looks completely fake; from Halle Berry's bare breasts, to John Travolta's laughably inane attempts to speak cool dialogue, this film is a cheap Hollywood product all the way through. Think of it as Lethal Weapon without the funny diagloue, Speed without the tireless momentum, Spiderman without the heroic prince. Think of it however you want... just don't bother seeing it.

Rating:
Summary: PASSWORD - MAGNIFICANT!!!!
Review: This movie is mind-blowing. Great action, great special effects, great movie!!! I've watched this film about 10 times so far. I just need to stop renting it, and buy it already!!! I enjoy this movie that much. This movie grabs you from the beginning and you are hooked right up to the end of the film. I mean how can you not be riveted to your seat during that explosive 360 degree turn scene? No pun intended, but that scene is the bomb!!! John Travolta plays Gabriel Shear who is determined to get his hands on 9.5 billion dollars to fight terrorism. The problem is he lacks the skills to hack into the site holding the funds. Enter Ginger. Ginger is sent to find the best hacker in the business, and that hacker is Stanley (Hugh Jackman). Stanley is trying to get his life in order, but the one thing he wants the most is custody of his daughter. He does not have the money, and Ginger is determined to convince him that Gabriel is the answer to his prayers. Stanleys daughter is living with her super drunk, porn acting mom played by (Drea De Matteo - Sopranos). If Stanley touches a computer, he stands to go back to jail. Stanley can't resist the lure of some big money, so he risks everything to the big pay day so he can get custody of his daughter (Camryn Grimes).

The beginning of the movie is so intense, I find myself rewinding that part of the movie so I can watch that explosive scene, over and over again. That car scene is one of the best since the Rock, and the way Gabriel holds the guns!!! All I can say is WOW !!! What I really enjoyed about this movie are all the plot twists. When you think you have it figured out, another twist is revealed. This movie really keeps you guessing when you first watch it.

My second favorite scene is the bus scene. When the bus is taken in the air all I could do was sit there with my mouth open. That was very original. I don't know why there was all that fuss about Halle's topless scene. I counted; you only see her boobs for 6 seconds total!!! SIX SECONDS!!! Three seconds, then the camera pans away, and then another 3 seconds. I'm sure for the guys that was all they needed. I felt that is nothing to make a big deal about. I did like how Stanley was bumping into things after he got Ginger's car keys. The movie offers alternate endings. I liked the one they use for the film.

I highly recommend this film. It's magnificent!