Swordfish Movie Review

Director: Dominic Sena

First Release Date: 8th June 2001 (US)

Running Time: 99 minutes 

Starring: John Travolta, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Vinnie Jones, Don Cheadle

"Swordfish" is a film that has a well known cast but upon its release the film garnered more press than usual due to the fact that it was the first film to feature Halle Berry nude.  A forced scene in what turns out to be a very disappointing and mediocre movie despite the lead roles of John Travolta and Hugh Jackman - both failing to add anything great to the film .

Stanley Jobson (Jackman) living in the Texan desert is visited by Ginger Knowles (Berry).  She asks him to meet her employer and ultimately wants Stan to use a computer - something he is unable to after being banned as one of the worlds most notorious hackers.  Persuaded by the desire to see his daughter again Stan goes to meet Gabriel Shear (Travolta) who is a wanted criminal by the FBI.  Stuck in the middle, Stan must do what he can to keep Gabriel from killing him and his daughter while trying to save the lives of others as the FBI closes in. 

"Swordfish", even with its well known and acclaimed cast is a let down.  The story line is okay at best and despite some good twists at the end, they fail to improve the film in the slightest.  The twists do not have the desired effect that directer, Dominic Sena, would have wanted and imagined when making the movie.  The cast is also ineffective in making the film any better despite the success they have had in other films.

Jackman, looking very young and less muscular than how he is now - due to films like "The Wolverine" (2013), is very average in this thriller.  His character does not give him the opportunity to give a performance that is positive or impressive.  This goes for all of the cast.  Characters are not developed enough for them to make an impression on the audience.  Travolta's performance is below average and his character does not have enough dimensions that the viewers can explore.  Not enough story or context is provided on Travolta's character.  Whether they hold background information back to make the movie more mysterious or whether they wanted to focus on other aspects of the film, it really does limit the effect the film has.  

The one scene that attracted much media attention when this film was released was Berry's topless scene.  However, the scene does not fit into the film at all.  It is forced, pointless and really interrupts the flow of the movie. This scene could have covered other aspects of the story and provided more context.  Another disappointing aspect of "Swordfish" are the action sequences.  There are few of them in this action film and the ones that exist are very mundane.  

"Swordfish" is a below average film. The storyline is something that feels familiar and despite a few twists it is nothing special.  The acting is mediocre and definitely not what you expect from such a well known cast.  The topic of the film is the only saving grace as it is relatively interesting yet the storyline does not take advantage of this and focuses instead on different aspects.  Come the end of the film, frustration is at its highest as the opportunity is missed to make a really great film.

M+F Rating: 4/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.