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A covert counter-terrorist unit called Black Cell led by Gabriel Shear wants the money to help finance their war against international terrorism, but it's all locked away. Gabriel brings in convicted hacker Stanley Jobson to help him.

Director:

Dominic Sena

Writer:

Skip Woods
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Popularity
2,236 ( 1,004)
5 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta ... Gabriel
Hugh Jackman ... Stanley
Halle Berry ... Ginger
Don Cheadle ... Roberts
Sam Shepard ... Senator Reisman
Vinnie Jones ... Marco
Drea de Matteo ... Melissa
Rudolf Martin ... Axl Torvalds
Zach Grenier ... A.D. Joy
Camryn Grimes ... Holly
Angelo Pagán ... Torres
Chic Daniel ... SWAT Leader
Kirk B.R. Woller ... Lawyer
Carmen Argenziano ... Agent
Tim DeKay ... Agent
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Storyline

When the DEA shut down its dummy corporation operation codenamed SWORDFISH in 1986, they had generated $400 million which they let sit around; fifteen years of compound interest has swelled it to $9.5 billion. A covert counter-terrorist unit called Black Cell, headed by the duplicitious and suave Gabriel Shear, wants the money to help finance their raise-the-stakes vengeance war against international terrorism, but it's all locked away behind super-encryption. He brings in convicted hacker Stanley Jobson, who only wants to see his daughter Holly again but can't afford the legal fees, to slice into the government mainframes and get the money. Written by Jeff Cross <blackjac_1998@yahoo.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Log on. Hack in. Go anywhere. Steal everything. See more »

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Certificate:

18A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Vinnie Jones previously worked with Dominic Sena on Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000). See more »

Goofs

When Stanley first goes to Gabriel's house and is standing by the pool, there is a clear shot of many skyscrapers in what appears to be downtown Los Angeles. However, when the FBI is doing surveillance on the house during the day, it is suddenly on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with no skyscrapers in sight. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Gabriel: You know what the problem with Hollywood is? They make shit. Unbelievable, unremarkable shit. Now I'm not some grungy wannabe filmmaker that's searching for existentialism through a haze of bong smoke or something. No, it's easy to pick apart bad acting, short-sighted directing, and a purely moronic stringing together of words that many of the studios term as "prose". No, I'm talking about the lack of realism. Realism; not a pervasive element in today's modern American cinematic ...
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Crazy Credits

The last credit reads "Final Password: Vernam", which is part of the website game. (See Trivia). A Vernam cypher is a method of encrypting a message. See more »

Alternate Versions

Alternate television takes were shot for the scene with Ginger at the pool (she wears a bikini) and where Stanley hacks into the main frame of the Departement of Defense (Helga is not there). See more »

Connections

References Survivor (2000) See more »

Soundtracks

Planet Rock (Swordfish Mix)
Written by Arthur Baker, John Robie, Afrika Bambaataa, The G.L.O.B.E (as John Miller), Mr. Biggs (as Ellis Williams), Pow Wow (as Robert Allen), Ralf Hütter (as Ralf Huetter), Emil Schult, Florian Schneider-Esleben and Karl Bartos
Performed by Paul Oakenfold Presents Afrika Bambaataa and Soul Sonic Force
Courtesy of Tommy Boy Music
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User Reviews

 
More Than Halle Berry's Hooters
9 January 2002 | by Bob-45See all my reviews

There are a lot more reasons to see "Swordfish" than Halle Berry's bare breasts. Although they are quite awesome, as is the rest of Ms. Berry, you can enough them in the IMDB photo gallery, thanks to Ms. Berry's decision to wear a see through dress to one of the award shows. No, for much of the film, "Swordfish" rocks, with plenty of action and two notable performances, Halle Berry and John Travolta. Sadly,he movie possesses some of producer Joel Silver's usual gaminess and the climax and denouement is not particularly satisfying. Nonetheless, "Swordfish" is a reasonably good romp at the movies, and theres always Halley Berry...


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Release Date:

8 June 2001 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Opération Swordfish See more »

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$102,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,145,632, 10 June 2001

Gross USA:

$69,772,969

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$147,080,413
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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