Login
At its most basic level, Eraser is a shameless Arnie movie - another member the action movie subgenre wherein the Austrian Oak smirks, munches on cigars and dispatches several battalions of nameless extras. It's loud, violent, sporadically funny and overflowing with action set-pieces and nifty weaponry. The only thing Eraser lacks is a spin - at the end of the day, it's just a fairly undistinguishable Arnold Schwarzenegger film. This is not a particularly bad thing, however, since it's therefore able to forgo all pretensions in order to revel in the fun, over-the-top action sequences. The final result is flawed but undeniably enjoyable.
The Schwarzenegger role in Eraser is U.S. Marshal John Kruger. He works with the witness protection program as an "eraser", which basically means that, as a protective measure, he "erases" the identities of the witnesses he's assigned to protect. As to be expected from an Arnie film, Kruger is considered to be the best in his line of work. His latest assignment is Lee Cullen; a top ranking executive for Cyrez Corporation (a U.S. weapons manufacturer) who uncovers evidence of a political plot to put a new super-weapon in the hands of an American enemy. But Cullen and Kruger soon discover that the level of treason extends past the Cyrez Corporation and into high levels of government.
The plot is expectedly thin stuff; an excuse to tie together rip-roaring action scenes. The action ranges from sensational to downright silly. Director Charles Russell (The Mask, Nightmare on Elm Street 3) capably shapes the story and paces the movie. The script is moderately well-structured, and wonderfully seasoned with Schwarzeneggerisms. Eraser is also another attempt at a "high tech" action flick (in the mould of Mission: Impossible and Hackers) - that is, it's a collection of the usual explosions and shootouts which are placed within a plot that involves all types of electronic gadgetry. Not much attention is paid to whether the science is feasible...but if it looks and sounds awesome, why not utilise it? While Eraser is standard stuff, there are some fun variations - mainly in the fact that many of the gunfights feature weapons which can shoot through walls (with an x-ray sight to boot).
So with explosions, stunts, nifty guns and "Ah-nuld", what else could you ask for? Well, a fresher script - the whole enterprise is hampered by a "been there, done that" feel. The much-worked-over screenplay (credited to Tony Puryear and Walon Green) sorely needed more work, particularly in the character department. The characters are utterly generic - Kruger is totally unstoppable (even after being stabbed and shot) and lacks any dimension, while Cullen is nothing more than a stereotypical, forgettable damsel in distress who does barely anything to further the plot, and Deguerin is a standard issue bad guy (with Caan using every hammy mannerism possible to sell what amounts to a third-rate James Bond villain). However, to the credit of the screenwriters, some of the more painful action movie standbys are avoided - the male & female leads do not fall in love, and (happily) they aren't always at each other's throats. That said, there are countless other problems with Eraser. It simply runs out of steam halfway through; having offered up its most spectacular set-pieces long before the lengthy 120-minute picture nears its climax. Even some of the best scenes are marred by dated CGI, which is especially disappointing considering that the budget could have paid for a small African nation.
There's a reason why Arnie kicking ass has become part of movie culture...it's awesome fun!! Eraser should hearten Schwarzenegger fans who disliked his ventures beyond the action realm (for instance the bloated parody Last Action Hero, and the comedy Junior). This is Ah-nuld at his muscle-bound, gun-toting best: mowing down bad guys without taking much of a breather. He does little more than walk through the ostensibly tailor-made role of John Kruger, but the big man is one hell of an amazing screen presence, and he can still deliver snappy one-liners with assurance (such as the iconic line "You're luggage" which he utters after shooting an alligator). Thankfully, Arnie has been surrounded by a more than satisfactory supporting cast. The acting is extremely passable, especially from Robert Pastorelli who seems to be having an absolute blast in the Joe Pesci-type sidekick role.
All in all, Eraser is pretty standard-issue Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a perfectly adequate time filler. It's hardly original, but with Arnie and some spectacular set-pieces, this is a thrilling ride. Just don't expect to remember much about the film five minutes after you finish watching it.
6.2/10
