RevisitingSwordfish— John Travolta, Hackers, and a High-Tech Relic of the Early 2000s
You know, every once in a while, I get the urge to go back and rewatch a film that made some kind of cultural noise when it first dropped — and this week, it was Swordfish . Yeah, that “sexy hacker” flick from 2001 starring Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and a devilishly over-the-top John Travolta. And let me tell you, watching it 24 years later is like opening a time capsule — loud techno beats, slow-motion explosions, and dialogue that desperately wants to sound edgy and intellectual.
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Back when it released, Swordfish was riding the wave created by The Matrix . Every action movie in the early 2000s seemed to be mimicking that bullet-time aesthetic — and Swordfish took it all the way. Produced by The Matrix ’s Joel Silver, the film opens with a flashy monologue from Travolta’s character, Gabriel, who’s going full Tarantino-lite, musing about Dog Day Afternoon before walking us into a slow-mo, bullet-suspended explosion that was the most complicated visual effect Warner Bros. had pulled off at the time.
And speaking of Travolta — man, that hairstyle. That soul patch. It was like the beginning of his “interesting facial hair” era, and not in a good way. He plays this ex-special forces black-ops guy with a God complex and a love for philosophical rants. He recruits Jackman’s Stanley, a fresh-out-of-prison hacker, to siphon $9.5 billion in government slush funds — all in the name of fighting terrorism. And yeah, Halle Berry’s presence is mostly eye candy, though she did make headlines back then for reportedly earning a bonus to go topless in a scene.
But here’s the thing — no amount of tech jargon, dramatic close-ups, or slow-mo shootouts can mask how much this movie has aged. The CGI, once jaw-dropping, now looks like it belongs in a high-budget video game cutscene. The script, penned by Skip Woods, was hot property in its day, but now it comes off like a knockoff of Tarantino meets Tony Scott — all style, not much substance.
Still, there's something oddly charming about its excess. Jackman, fresh off X-Men , is likable and earnest. Berry, effortlessly magnetic. And Travolta? He’s chewing scenery like it’s a buffet, and somehow that works. It’s almost camp now — unintentionally hilarious in its attempt to be cutting-edge. That infamous line about Thomas Jefferson executing someone on the White House lawn? Completely made up. But it sounds so serious in the movie that people still repeat it like it’s a fact.
Interestingly, Swordfish didn’t do great theatrically. It grossed around $69 million domestically and $77 million overseas, which didn’t quite cover its $100 million budget. But it did have a second life on DVD and became one of those “bro night” rewatch staples, full of flashy stunts, cool music by Paul Oakenfold, and that early-2000s obsession with hackers and anti-heroes.
Now, with a 4K remaster from Arrow Video hitting shelves, it’s the perfect moment to look back and see Swordfish for what it really was — a product of its time. Flawed, sure. A little ridiculous? Absolutely. But it’s also a wild ride worth revisiting if you’re in the mood for some nostalgic, high-octane cheese with Travolta going full ham. So is it still worth watching? I’d say yes — just don’t take it too seriously, and you’ll probably enjoy the blast from the past.
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