"Where you going?"

"To get my dog."

Hardly an exchange you'd expect from your average Hitchcockian thriller, but (adopts trailer-guy voice) in a world where Harrison Ford refuses to stretch his acting skills as far as his credibility, you can expect little more from the former Indiana Jones' latest effort.

In his latest in-it-for-the-money outing, Harry plays Jack Stanfield, a successful computer security expert at a bank, a family man and, oh yeah, that's right, a heck of a nice guy to boot.

But poor Jack's life is about to get turned upside down after a meeting with businessman Bill Cox (Paul Bettany). Jack fails to realise his potential business partner is actually a maniacal heistmeister with designs on Jack's bank's stash.

How did Jack fail to notice the bad guy straight off? Cox disguised his Brit accent, that's how. And soon after revealing his true nationality, Jack knows he means business, while the audience arrives in cliché city with a map and a compass to Predictable Street.

The plan sees Jack's family held hostage in their hi-tech home (ring any bells in Kent crime central?) while Jack is forced to go to work and rob his own bank, under the watchful gaze of the bad guys and some very confused colleagues.

For a brief time the script sparkles, getting through the standard motions at breakneck speed and introducing well-fleshed characters inside the bank, although not out, and a plot that could go either way.

Unfortunately, it doesn't go the way we'd like. The first hour provides enough thrills and, thanks to the talent on hand, is a very watchable popcorn movie.

Perhaps the writer simply couldn't face doing any more computer research or perhaps Ford was too close to making a good movie.

Whatever the reasoning, Firewall nosedives into the obvious, exchanging a taut thriller for the last 30 minutes of Air Force One, but without the plane. Or excitement. And just a dose of complete and utter stupidity.

Judging by the exchange at the start of this review, writer Joe Forte was prepared to sink his tongue into his cheek, and should be commended for his efforts.

If only someone had bothered to mention this to Ford, who's clearly insistent on making mediocrity.

Unlikely to laugh at himself or try to play a role that requires more than gritted teeth and dirty looks, the ageing action hero has given himself no place to go.

Like Arnie after Collateral Damage, Ford must now realise that the same old-same old simply won't pass.

Virginia Madsen helps carry the movie, the actress has been inundated with offers since Sideways rejuvenated her career - a movie that made money AND required the audience to think a little bit deeper.

It's a shame Ford doesn't give us that much credit too.

Rich Phippen