Harrison Ford’s ‘Firewall’ Was a 19% Rotten Tomatoes Disaster

Hollywood legend Harrison Ford has been in the acting game for nearly six decades, with his first appearance dating all the way back to 1966. Throughout the years of his impressive and all-encompassing career, he has starred in numerous iconic film franchises, including Indiana Jones and Star Wars. He has also amassed quite a collection of awards, boasting everything from a People’s Choice Award to a Golden Globe. Surprisingly, Ford has not yet won an Oscar, although he was nominated for his role as John Book in Witness. While many of Ford’s roles can certainly be deemed Oscar-worthy, the following film is not one of them.

Firewall, directed by Richard Loncraine, is an action thriller that was released back in 2006. The film features Harrison Ford, Virginia Madsen, and Paul Bettany. Despite the star-studded cast, the performances and plot are unfortunately not up to par, resulting in a measly Rotten Tomatoes critic score of only 19%. While the audience score is slightly better, coming in at a humble 37%, there is no doubt that there are far more enjoyable Harrison Ford movies that should be higher on fans’ watchlists.

Spoilers for ‘Firewall.’

The Underwhelming Plot of ‘Firewall’

The film follows a typical bank heist narrative, bringing nothing new or extraordinary to the already saturated genre. The film begins with Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford). He is a Seattle-based chief of security for Landrock Pacific Bank. After losing money due to a suspected instance of identity theft, Stanfield enlists the help of his colleague, Harry Romano (Robert Forster). Romano introduces Stanfield to Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), saying he will help take care of the false claim. In a surprising turn of events, Cox pulls a gun on Stanfield after following him to his car, setting the events of the film into motion.

After facing threats to his wife and children, Stanfield is instructed to transfer a total of $100 million to Cox’s offshore accounts. Obviously, Stanfield is reluctant to commit the crimes asked of him and takes drastic measures to try to escape the task at hand. These attempts backfire dramatically, with Cox wreaking more havoc against Stanfield and his family at every turn. After a cliché and prolonged game of cat and mouse between Stanfield and Cox, the film ends with flashy explosions, a safe family, and revenge.

Harrison Ford’s Average Performance in ‘Firewall’

While it is fair to say that Ford’s performance was likely hindered by the mediocrity of the on-the-page character, there is nothing really remarkable about him in this role. His acting work in this film can be bluntly described as consisting almost entirely of one-dimensional dialogue delivered with the same brooding growl at every word. The emotional stakes that come with his endangered family are not at the forefront of the performance and the audience is left watching a character who consists of simmering anger and annoyance that rarely comes to an intense boil.

It bears repeating that Ford is a good actor, and this role simply didn’t offer him the same kind of material that audiences have seen in other performances. Another issue seems to result from the lack of on-screen chemistry between much of the cast. Line deliveries often feel cold and overly calculated, taking audiences out of the story and shedding a light that pierces through the acting veil. In other words, viewers can tell that they are watching actors reading lines as opposed to the characters that they are portraying. Considering the immense talent present within the cast, this issue may fall heavier upon the film’s writer and director.

What the Critics Had to Say About ‘Firewall’

With an unimpressive 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s not surprising that critics were rather harsh in their reviews of the film. Many were quick to note the lackluster performances present within the entire cast, with much of the focus landing on Harrison Ford. They also mentioned the formulaic and oftentimes boring structure that the film takes on, spending far too much time focusing on characters hunched over keyboards. According to the critics, there is simply a lack of suspense surrounding the events of the plot, making the film a disappointing addition to the thriller genre.

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General audiences weren’t impressed either. Many echoed the critics, emphasizing their disappointment with the film’s reliance on cheesy and unrealistic technical jargon to make the messy story “work.” Even Ford fans couldn’t help but be disappointed in his performance, with many describing it as wooden and uninspired. In short, there are far better thrillers to watch and far superior Harrison Ford performances to choose from. Many critics and audience members recommended The Fugitive instead, a Ford action-thriller with an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Firewall is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV. The Fugitive is available to stream on Philo.