Review of Swordfish

There's a nice air of affluence surrounding Gabriel Shear and his entourage throughout this film. That Euro-chic style is enticing and makes this different than your average action film. Misdirection is the key theme of the picture, and it is Gabriel's modus operandi. The subtext of the film is, in this world plagued by single-minded terrorists, do we want someone as ruthless as Shear on our side? More to the point, is it absolutely vital (though we may deny it to ourselves) to have someone like Shear on our side? Travolta, Jackman and Berry are just fine here and seem comfortable in their roles. There are elements of "The Rock" and "Speed," but Sena has crafted his own unique picture, and it's quite good. Sena's DVD commentary is logical, demonstrates his knowledge of film, and explains precisely how and why scenes were framed and filmed as they were. He explains how a computer consultant spent a good deal of time on the set helping to achieve realism in that department. The worm was made into an image (instead of a set of numbers as it really is) solely to assist in story-telling and add punch to what is, after all, a visual medium.

There were two script-related items that bothered me a bit. Roberts' gullibility in taking a phone call in the middle of questioning Shear's

previous computer expert was one gaffe. The other was 3 or more guys rolled down a steep hillside, and yet none of them sprained ankles, or broke any bones after such a long, fast roll. Also, Sena himself acknowledges their clothes should have been dirtier. Despite these minor complaints, I really enjoyed the film, and give it 7.5 out of 10 stars.