Swordfish (Blu-ray) (2001)

"...a relentless action flick that looks great and moves with more grace and speed than seems possible.  Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun
"The liveliest and most engaging time killer to come out of Hollywood in a long while.  Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
"...skillfully mounted and fitfully intriguing...  Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Editor's Note Star John Travolta revisits the grinning villain territory he explored in BROKEN ARROW and FACE/OFF with this stylish, supercharged techno-thriller. He plays Gabriel, a charismatic, fast-living mystery man who, with help from his right-hand woman, Ginger (Halle Berry), recruits ex-con and former master hacker Stan (Hugh Jackman) to aid in a plan to steal billions from a secret government bank account. Stan reluctantly agrees to help in order to finance the legal battle for custody of his young daughter (Camryn Grimes). Meanwhile an FBI computer crimes specialist (Don Cheadle) is determined to find out what's about to go down, and plans to use Stan to find out. The movie amply earns its keep by cleverly zig-zagging away from audience's expectations and delivering many clever, pulse-pounding action set pieces--including an incredible opening explosion, a car chase through downtown Los Angeles replete with blazing machine guns, and a spectacular airborne climax. With the help of a propulsive electronica score by DJ Paul Okenfold, director Dominic Sena (GONE IN 60 SECONDS) lays down lots of style, and Travolta is mesmerizing in his juicy role.

	Don Cheadle
	Drea de Matteo
	Halle Berry
	Hugh Jackman
	John Travolta
	Sam Shepard
	Tate Donovan
	Vinnie Jones
	Bruce Berman - Executive Producer
	Dominic Sena - Director
	Joel Silver - Producer
	Paul Cameron - Cinematographer
	Paul Oakenfold, et. al. - Original Music By
	Skip Woods - Writer
	Stephen E. Rivkin - Editor

USA Today
"...The movie has constant mayhem and a speedy pace..." 06/08/2001 p.9E

Entertainment Weekly
"...Enjoyably corrupt....[Travolta] electrifies the space around him with his mellifluous and cocky authority..." 06/15/2001 p.56

Variety
"...Mounted in breathlessly stylish fashion, with a great-looking cast....It's turbo-charged, with hyper-realistic, attenuated slo-mo action shots..." 06/04/2001 p.16-23

Sight and Sound
"...[Jackman] steals the show, much as he did in X-MEN, investing his character with a steely resolve..." 09/01/2001 p.54-5

Total Film
"...It's Jackman who tears away with most of the scenes....The man, quite simply, is a star..." 09/01/2001 p.98

Uncut
"Jackman and Cheadle are great, Travolta's sublime..." 09/01/2004 p.125

Widescreen Review
"[The film] has a slick, stylish appearance....[With] an enjoyable soundtrack." 07/01/2006 p.67

ReelViews 8 of 10
Like Die Hard and Speed before it, Swordfish is escapist entertainment that requires a significant level of suspended disbelief. While this motion picture lacks the strong scripts and easy-to-identify-with central characters of its antecedents (the aforementioned summer action flicks), its deficiencies in those areas don't detract significantly from its watchability. The screenplay, credited to Skip Woods, is silly and often preposterous, but it's not dumb. It pokes fun at itself on a fairly constant basis, although never straying so far over the line that it morphs into self-parody. Director Dominic Sena (Gone In 60 Seconds) puts things into testosterone-and-adrenaline overdrive, delivering a healthy portion of chases leavened with high-tech gadgetry and a helping of raunchy under-the-table sex and high-profile nudity. - James Berardinelli

Variety 8 of 10
John Travolta revives his "Pulp Fiction" hairdo in an attempt to recapture some of his former cool in "Swordfish," a half-absorbing, half-ridiculous techno-thriller that often goes too far in search of audience-rousing effects. Mounted in breathlessly stylish fashion, with a great-looking cast enacting a series of intriguing but deliberately ambiguous scenes, Warner Bros.' first big summer release has the feel of a solid, densely packed script ramped up into a "Matrix"/"Mission: Impossible" wannabe, with increasingly over-the-top results. Brimming with action and intent on keeping the viewer guessing as to the true nature of its principal characters, this should be a muscular if not stellar mainstream performer internationally. - Todd McCarthy