Swordfish
	Rated: R
	Runtime: 1hr 39min
	Starring: John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle
	MFG Rating: 4/5

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DVD Features Video: Widescreen enhanced with a pretty good picture quality. A little too much edge enhancement for my taste, but it doesn't distract too much. Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 of course, and since it's an action movie the rear channels do get used. Extras: Two Behind-the-Scenes documentaries, alternate endings, commentaries and a trailer.

Were you expecting yet another hacker movie? If so, prepare to be surprised. This isn't as much a hacker movie as it is a techno thriller with a little politics thrown in for good measure.

Travolta is Gabriel Shear, a... well, it's hard to say what he is. From the beginning of the movie you know he's not a good guy as he's apparently robbing a bank, but he's not your average bad guy either. In fact, its hard to tell which characters are supposed to be good guys, and which are bad.

Let's break this down by character. In addition to Travolta's character there's Hugh Jackman as Stanley Jobson, one of the best hackers in the world and recently released from prison after being busted for hacking the FBI's Carnivore system. Halle Berry is Ginger, perhaps a hacker herself, perhaps Gabriel's girl, perhaps not. Don Cheadle is the obligatory FBI guy who really is what he appears to be, a good guy.

Then there's the bank robbery that the movie starts off with, which has some great special effects work and a great premise on how to treat hostages. Shortly after the robbery scene you're treated to "4 days earlier" across the bottom of the screen. Normally I hate movies that do this, but it worked out fine in this case.

Seems that Gabriel needs himself a highly talented hacker for a project he's working on. Enter Ginger, who is sent to convince Stanley that his life in a dirty trailer isn't what it's cracked up to be and that he should at least listen to what Gabriel has to say. Of course he says yes, or it would have been a real short movie. BTW, Halle Berry looks fine in this movie. We're also treated to her first nude scene which is worth the price of the movie by itself.

Anyway, Stanley hooks up with Gabriel and after being convinced at both gunpoint and mouthpoint (see it to understand) to hack into the Department of Defense's system he's offered a pant load of money to take on a serious challenge.

There's a couple of plot points that help keep the story moving, one involving a Senator and the other Stanley's daughter, but I'm not going to bother going into those here. You'll want to see this movie for the action scenes, a rather unique bank robbery and getaway, and of course, for the lovely Halle.

- John