CORPORATE LINE: Vin Diesel redefines what it means to be an action hero in the heartwarming family action-comedy The Pacifier. Diesel stars as Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe who, as an elite member of the world’s fiercest and most highly trained force thought he was prepared to take on any duty no matter how perilous or impossible … until he tried baby-sitting. Assigned to protect the five out-of-control children of an assassinated scientist working on vital government secrets, Shane is suddenly faced with juggling two outrageously incompatible jobs: fighting the bad guys while keeping house. Replacing his usual arsenal of wetsuits and weapons with diapers and juice boxes, Shane not only must battle a deceptive enemy but wrangle teen rebel Zoe (Brittany Snow), sullen 14 year-old Seth (Max Thieriot), 8 year-old Ninja-wanna-be Lulu (Morgan York), as well as 3 year-old Peter and baby Tyler – not to mention their off-beat Romanian Nanny (Carol Kane). But while drop zones, demolitions and destroying enemy targets come naturally to Shane, he has no idea what tough really is until he pits his courage against diapering, den-mothering and driver’s education. He’s truly a SEAL out of water, and not it’s up to this one-time lone warrior to take on the most important mission of his life: keeping a family together.
THE MOVIE: It’s not easy to do the good and bad for the Pacifier because there are stipulations that have to be addressed. First, this is a kid’s movie. Second, it’s not supposed to be taken seriously. All we have to do is think about Freaky Friday or Herbie the Love Bug both movies that were about enjoyment not to be taken seriously. Those original movies were good clean fun.
The Pacifier is something parents can appreciate because they can watch with their kids without covering eyes or ears. Rarely does a movie have action, suspense, and good clean fun. It seems more and more the only movies for kids are animated—and sometimes these aren’t for tots. Sure you get humor that only a kid could love, farts for one, but there is also a tenderness that keeps the film level.
DVD FEATURES: If you didn’t care for the movie I will tell you that it’s awful hard to sit through the director’s commentary. Director Adam Shankman talks about the film as if it were a masterpiece. All of his comments are about how great it was and how everything was peachy. Watching it you know that wasn’t true. Most of Shankman’s commentary is useless and makes worse an already bad movie. Boo!
Much like Shankman’s commentary the deleted scenes are useless and uninteresting. “On Set With Brad Garrett: Unpacified” is mildly amusing. “On Set With Mr. Diesel: Action Hero and Nice Guy” easily follows the past of many of these extras into the dead zone.
FRANKLY: The Pacifier isn’t going to win any awards, its not going to be mistaken for Mary Poppins, or will we be talking about it a month from now—yet it’s a good way to get the family out on a weekend and share an hour and a half of good clean fun. That said—if you aren’t bringing your kids then you don’t want to see The Pacifier.
+ Charlie Craine
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