“The Pacifier” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Tough guy Vin Diesel goes for the “family crowd” with his new film “The Pacifier.” The action hero still manages to get in a few kicks and punches but overall this is a movie that will leave audiences saying “Aaaaah!” Some may be put off by its too sweet ways but they will probably be in the minority. Overall this is probably a very good career move for Mr. Diesel as it shows he does have some range in his acting arsenal.
Diesel plays Shane Wolfe, a Navy Seal, who is proficient in search and rescue operations. One of these rescues goes bad and a noted scientist (Tate Donovan) is killed. As a result of this incident Shane is sent to be the protector of the man’s family while the widow (Faith Ford) goes to France to bring home information that is in a safety deposit box.
Shane ends up the babysitter for five children, one of which is a baby. One of the flaws of the film is that you are always wondering who has the baby when it is not with Shane. Another flaw is the injection of “terrorists” into the story. They break into the house looking for the formula on which the good scientist was working. In order not to have the kids in too much jeopardy these “break-ins” are played for laughs.
Lauren Graham is on hand as the principal of the kids’ school. It is a thankless role and she does nothing to make it any more than it is. There are no sparks between her and Diesel. Brad Garrett is also featured as a wrestling coach who bullies the oldest boy under Shane’s care. This also doesn’t work as Garrett’s character is such a cartoon.
Carol Kane has some good moments as the babysitter who quits once Faith Ford’s character leaves for France. In the short time she is on screen she makes the most of her role and adds some zip to the film.
The film is rated PG for mild profanity and violence.
“The Pacifier” is a movie that will appeal to families, but the single moviegoer will probably find it too sweet and too contrived for any real moviegoing pleasure. Bring back Diesel the action hero and leave this kind of movies to Robin Williams, who does them better.
I scored “The Pacifier” a thumb-sucking 5 out of 10.
