I’ll admit that this movie wasn’t necessarily high on my list of Must-See movies. I mean, really… Vin Diesel? In a family movie? Are you serious? But when I did see it, I was seriously (and pleasantly) surprised.
When Shane Wolfe (Diesel), a Navy SEAL, leads an operation to rescue government scientist Howard Plummer (Tate Donovan) from a band of military-secret-stealing Serbians, things don’t exactly go as planned. Plummer is killed, and Wolfe takes a bullet. But Plummer’s top-secret project is still out there—and Plummer’s family is in constant danger. So while Plummer’s wife (Faith Ford) flies to Switzerland in an attempt to unlock a safety deposit box (and, hopefully, Plummer’s secret), Shane is sent to keep the rest of the Plummer family safe.
When the Plummers’ nanny finally snaps and packs her bags for good, Shane (an only child who grew up in a military boarding school) is left to keep an eye on five kids: two troubled teenagers, a 10-year-old who thinks Shane’s cute, a toddler, and a baby.
The Pacifier isn’t necessarily an original story—and the plot isn’t exactly unpredictable—but it’s a fun family flick nonetheless. I was surprised by Vin Diesel—who hasn’t exactly struck me as the most well-rounded (or, well, talented) of actors in the past. Yet, despite a bit of action-film-star starchiness, he pulls his role off quite well. In fact, his character is likeably starchy (think Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop). In fact, after seeing Vin Diesel pedaling away on a kid-sized pink bike (complete with pretty tassels on the handlebars), I have a lot more respect for him. I like to see a tough, good-looking action star who’s not afraid of looking stupid (like The Rock in Be Cool).
While the acting isn’t always the best—nor is the story—remember that this is a family comedy. It’s not supposed to be Oscar-caliber. It’s just supposed to be fun—and it definitely is fun. It’s cute, it’s funny, and it all goes to show that all kids need is a listening ear and some combat training, and they’ll turn into little angels (a lesson I intend to try out when I have a little one of my own). Even though I started out skeptical, this movie won me over. In fact, I’d have to say that it’s the best family-action-comedy I’ve seen in quite a while…
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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