Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3855 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-01-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German
• Subtitled in: English, French, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Spanish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 99 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The sort of action thriller for which the phrase "high octane" could have been conceived, Swordfish stars John Travolta as Gabriel Shear, an enigmatic criminal operator who is as admired as he is feared. Using sexy sidekick Ginger (Halle Berry) as bait, he pressgangs Stanley Jobson, (Hugh Jackman) the world's greatest computer hacker, into helping him relieve the world banking system of a few billion dollars to finance his own enterprises. Jackman agrees, on the promise that Travolta will help him regain custody of his daughter.

The numerous explosions and set-piece exchanges of high calibre gunfire tend at times to blowholes in the narrative fabric and sense of Swordfish, a film that nonetheless engages through its extravagant silliness. Vinnie Jones is under-used as a fearsome minder, a close-up of Halle Berry's breasts isn't entirely integral to the plotline, while Travolta enjoys himself as the dapper ringmaster of this orgy of techno-chaos, especially in scenes in which he blasts away a brace of pursuing assassins with improbable aplomb and during his opening, Tarantino-esque monologue. By the end, he has shown himself in his apparently true colours in such a way that events of September 11, 2001--although made prior to them--lent the film an eerie sense of prescience. --David Stubbs

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
DVD 9
French
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English French
Dolby Digital 5.1
Audio Commentary
Alternative Endings
The Making Of
Featurette
Restricted Files Featurette
Arabic\Bulgarian\Dutch\English\French\German\Italian\Romanian\Spanish

Synopsis
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.

Customer Reviews

No swords or fish but no surprise there
John Travolta stars in this film as the laid back ganstar type. Big cash, big cars, beautiful girls. But when he gets a hacker caught up in his work, the world spins out of control.
Travolta gets a role he finally fits well. After his recent 'successes' like Battlefield Earth, this gives people a chance to reflect what he can really do when given the right role.
The plot is a deep a intricate journey taking you on rolleroaster ride of women, guns and explosives. But despite what I make it out to be there is a very visable plot in there.
The action is all it is suppossed to be cracked up to be with scenes like Travolta riding a covertable with twin pistols leaning out of the window and making a mess of the clean streets.
Although some parts owe themselves to the Matrix (.i.e. the bullet time sequence used in the first five minutes) it is still an excellent film. A must for all action addicts.

**** UNDER-RATED ****
Ignore the negative reviews for this movie. It is much better than many of the critics would have you believe and [...] you could do far worse than to add this to your collection!

Unlike many other reviewers, I don't want to spoil this movie for you by telling you too much about the plot or describing in perfect detail some of the best scenes in the movie but what I will tell you is...

1) Yes, it's true, Dominic Sena's last directorial effort Gone In Sixty Seconds was a MAJOR dissapointment BUT SWORDFISH ISN'T!!! It's a good movie!
2) Travolta is reliably good
3) Halle Berry is very good
4) Don Cheadle is underused and
5) Hugh Jackman is a major star in the making.
6) The now infamous scene of Halle Berry topless was probably unnecessary and perhaps gratuitous (but hey, she's a good looking woman with a good body). Sorry, did I say good? I meant great...but if this is the only reason why you'd watch this movie, then you really do need to get a life.
7) This was one of the better films of the summer.
8) It is neither formulaic nor does it lack ambition. Unlike most movies of this genre it challenges it's audience to excercise the old grey matter and it's got a half-decent twist.
9) Vinnie Jones is undeniably rubbish. He has about two lines and unfortunately for him they are probably the two worst written in the whole movie.

Sure it has some faults, like did they run out of money for FX when they shot the scene of the bus landing on the roof? And the change of pace and edit from past events back to present was badly thought out and jarred a bit. BUT you know what? I liked this movie and the directorial set-piece that everybody wants to spoil for you by describing it to you in every detail is excellent. I only wish the moviemakers had been able to take that extra step and made a great rather than good movie. Buy some popcorn, kick back and enjoy this one on a Saturday night at home in front of the TV...

Password Accepted
Wow! what more can i say about swordfish to really sum up my feelings. This film has achieved what few other films have managed over previous years, it's high-octane, stunning hacker thriller. Not an easy job when all's said and done. Obviously some criticms can be levelled at swordfish, true, Halle Berry's topless scene adds little to the plot and the car chase is a bit unrealistic, but let's be honest, it wouldn't be a particularly good film if the lead characters got killed halfway through (except pulp fiction!), because that would bring something of a halt to the action dont you think? Once again, John Travolta clearly has great fun playing the villain and does a terrific job being dark, charismatic and a generally great character as Gabriel Shear. The film also has some stunning setpieces which include the opening 3-D matrix style explosion, and a final getaway scene that really is terrific! If you can ignore the little niggles that nitpickers have obviously spent hours looking for because they didn't like the film and had no excuse, then you can sit down and enjoy one of the most clever thrillers of recent years. This film won't disappoint.