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...

It's an amusing moment, and it sets up "Swordfish" as a counterpoint to that line of reasoning. The movie plays as a postmodern (and by post-modern I mean post-Tarantino) action film, cutting the audience just enough slack for them to decide whether or not they want to root for the bad guy, who is most certainly Gabriel. The film's message, beyond the drive of the plot, is that the audiences root for the bad guy. Whether or not they want/would allow him to win is tested on-screen by Hugh Jackman, playing the "everyman" with certain talents that pull him into Gabriel's high-stakes world.

Unfortunately, "Swordfish" suffers from its own cleverness, much in the same way people disliked Mission: Impossible or LA Confidential. There are twists and turns galore, and every other character is not who they appear to be. "Swordfish", though, doesn't quite pull it off. At one point, Gabriel talks about the greatness of Harry Houdini and the art of misdirection, which serves as a blueprint for this movie. The audience sees what Hugh Jackman's Stanley sees - the misdirection, and there's so much of it that it becomes an exercise in dizziness trying to juggle all the details. In this respect, the magician's trick works. However, as a film, it leaves the viewer more confused than amused, more depressed than impressed, and not caring enough about what happens to the characters since they don't really know who the characters REALLY are at any given moment.

Still, through it all is Gabriel, who may or may not be any number of things. It doesn't affect how he acts, though, and much of the fun in "Swordfish" is watching Travolta revisit familiar and confident territory as the wisecracking heavy. In fact, the strength of "Swordfish" is truly found in the performances. Even as the plot unfolds with its slight of hand, there's enough eye candy and wry humor there to make for an enjoyable film. Don Cheadle and Hugh Jackman are great, playing it all with a straight face (necessary to make an action film work), and Vinnie Jones stops by to look menacing though he is not given nearly enough to do.

"Swordfish" is a tough catch to reel in. It is an ambitious action film that doesn't quite become what it wants to be and, in failing, leaves much of the audience in its thrashing wake. For recommendations sake, if you disliked "The Usual Suspects" or "Mission: Impossible" because of their labyrinthine, snaking plots, you will probably not enjoy "Swordfish". If you liked "Ronin" or "Broken Arrow" because of their pacing and performances, you will probably get a kick out of "Swordfish". The movie never quite gives the audience enough to judge whether Gabriel or his dissenters are right, but it sure has a lot of fun trying to deliver the goods. A true summer film, and a worthy popcorn film for those in need of one.