SWORDFISH
A Warner Bros. release 

review by CJ Henderson

SYNOPSIS: Gabriel, a charismatic and dangerous spy out to finance his own brand of patriotism. Given a way to do it, he begins assembling an assault on a massive fortune when his bosses tell him to stop. They promise money will be found for his operation, but he's not the kind of man who likes to wait. And that is where the fun begins.

REVIEW: For those who feel they're not being told a great deal above, I have to agree. But the reason is simple. SWORDFISH is an elaborately constructed movie. Start telling too much about how it works and suddenly you've ruined key points of the film for those who are listening to you. And that would be criminal. You don't tell someone that the "Planet of the Apes" (the original) is really Earth; you don't give away plot points in a Hitchcock movie and you don't give away any here, either.

SWORDFISH is a film about a lot of things. It touches on the hidden world of cyberspace and all of its intricacies. It gives us a view of the espionage/terrorism/counter-terrorism game: both of the kinds of people involved in it and of the things they do to each other. It asks dangerous questions and it gives answers which will disturb a lot of people. It is filled with high-action and yet remains thought-provoking and even disturbing. It is an accomplishment of stellar proportions and everyone involved should be proud to be associated with it.

I can, however, give you a half dozen good reasons to get to the theater that don't involve ruining the story for you before you get there:

1.  Hugh Jackman: a cult favorite since "X-Men," Jackman proves he has big-time leading man potential here.
2.  Halle Berry: better than ever, her best role since "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." She's more beautiful than ever, but she also gets to run a gamet of emotions that prove she's far more than a starlet. She is a top talent, and this is the kind of performance that should finally get her some of the recognition she deserves.
3.  The rest of the cast: Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones, Camryn Grimes, Sam Shepard (not to mention Travolta who more than makes up for "Battlefield Earth") and the rest who do a stunning job.
4.  Dominic Sena: the director of "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Kalifornia," Sena gives "Swordfish" an unbelievable action edge that will have you slamming your friends on the back, demanding they get to the theater.
5.  Paul Cameron: Director of photography on mostly independent films until now, his work here is visually stunning. Every angle is smooth, every transition flawless. A talent to watch for.
6.  Boyd Shermis: using a number of the special effects created for Joel Silver's "The Matrix" (and why not, considering Silver is also the producer of this film), Shermis gives the action sequences in this movie the kind of look and feel that will keep people talking for weeks on end.

And I could go on. The story-telling is brilliant. The twists and turns in this one will keep even the brightest audience members guessing. This is the summer blockbuster we've been waiting for. 

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
http://operationswordfish.warnerbros.com

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