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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…
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