Firewall - * * *

Harrison Ford is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He's been in some of the biggest movies--some of my favorite movies. But these days, he seems like he's struggling to make a really great movie. When you talk to people about him, they either say, "Man, what's he doing with Calista Flockhart (Alley McBeal)?" Or, "He's too old to be doing action films." Perhaps this is why Ford is working hard to make Indiana Jones 4.

So, how is Ford's latest movie, Firewall? A solid thriller. I was entertained. It's on the same level as movie like Flight Plan. One of the reasons Firewall is better than most is its villain: Paul Bettany. As all screenwriters know, the hero is only as good as the villain. Bettany plays a man who will stop at nothing to have Ford break into his bank and steal a lot of money. He has taken Ford's family hostage. He kills his own people. Without this strong antagonist and Bettany's acting to back it up, the movie simply wouldn't be as interesting.

This is the first movie I've seen where Harrison Ford appears to play someone his own age (60+). He gets beat up by younger guys. He has problems that Indiana Jones would fly through. But it still won't be enough for his critics.

I heard that Ford turned down the role that Michael Douglas played in Traffic. And its his turning down roles that seem more challening than the average thriller that will keep the critics coming at him.