Film Critic to the Culver City Observer and over 132 Publications Worldwide including: The Observer, Inc., John Schimmenti, Inc., CCN, Inc.,
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The Pacifier
by
debbie lynn elias
In what appears to be his never ending effort to fill the shoes of California’s beloved governor, Vin Diesel tries to expand his portfolio and soften his image with this latest formulaic Disney film. Think “Kindergarten Cop” meets “Bambi” meets “True Lies” meets “Eraser.”
Shane Wolfe is a Navy S.E.A.L. assigned to rescue top level government scientist Howard Plummer. Unfortunately, Wolfe fails in his assignment and Plummer is somehow executed (off screen of course; after all, this is Disney.) It’s not long, however, before Wolfe finds himself assigned to protect Plummer’s five children while Plummer’s widow is spirited off to Switzerland with Wolfe’s boss to locate her husband’s super secret safe deposit box in the hopes that it contains his super secret experiment. Under the guise of being a nanny, Wolfe soon finds himself embroiled in the most difficult mission of his career - handling a teenage girl, a despondent teenage boy, a cutesy pre-teen girl, a precocious little boy and a baby. And he thought the military was tough! Tackling this assignment as he would any other, Wolfe assigns each child a code name - Red One through Red Five - and goes through each day with military precision. But, since this is Disney, we can all pretty much figure out what comes next. Wolfe gets to like the kids. Kids get to like Wolfe, etc., etc. But of course that’s after some rather entertaining encounters between Wolfe and the Slavic housekeeper Helga, Wolfe and a spandex clad vice-principal/wrestling coach, Wolfe and some over-anxious teenage hormones, Wolfe and bad guys, Wolfe and car pool, Wolfe and homework and above all, perhaps the most comedic encounter of all, Wolfe and a duck. And let’s not forget a little love interest with the school principal for some extra fun.Not a big Vin Diesel fan, I must admit that he won me over with this role. His rapport with the children is heartwarming even when he’s at his gruffest. And the shyness and sensitivity he brings to the part when “courting” Principal Fletcher is, for lack of a better word, cute. But what strikes me the most is how he warms to the role. Much like Schwarzenegger in “Kindergarten Cop”, we get to see Diesel’s character change and grow with a progressive incorporation of the traits and personality of his “military” nature with his newfound appreciation for the “softer” side of life. There is no suddenness to the character change, but a gradual flow which suits the film nicely. Likewise, his chemistry with Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham as Principal Fletcher is endearing and almost reminiscent of a school boy crush. Brad Garret takes a turn as Vice Principal Murney and next to Vin Diesel’s scenes with a duck, Brad Garret in spandex is enough to make you split your sides laughing. Although with minimal screen time, Faith Ford makes the most of it as widowed Julie Plummer and exudes a boundless effervescence and saccharine sweetness that adds to the family friendly nature of the film.
Written by the team of Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant (who are next up with another Disney flick, “Herbie : Fully Loaded”), the two may find themselves forgiven for last year’s woeful “Taxi.” Although formulaic and similar in premise to another man-goes-undercover-to- guard-kids movie currently playing, that’s where the similarities end. Cutesy and cheerful and “Disney dopey”, the two have nevertheless come up with a winning story that although essentially mindless, is still entertaining. The story is tied together nicely and comes full circle (which adults will appreciate) while the perennial “fish out of water” situation of Wolfe provides plenty of antics to keep the kids amused. (And again, I have to mention the duck.) And while filled with cliched visuals, the script is written such that each fits into the story as opposed to being “dropped in” just for the heck of it.
Directed by Adam Shankman, who also gave us “Bringing Down the House” and “The Wedding Planner”, here he displays a much lighter but still technically adept touch. Although the film is essentially a well-worn paint-by-the-numbers cliched formulation, he manages to keep the film light and alive, moving briskly through the paces without giving anything time to stagnate, thanks in part to editor Chris Greenbury. Kudos also to Shankman for reteaming with his “House” production designer Linda DeScenna whose keen eye does well with the Disney family concept.
“The Pacifier” - cute and cuddly, mind-numbing, cotton candy guaranteed to pacify everyone in the family.
Shane Wolfe: Vin Diesel Principal Fletcher: Lauren Graham Julie Plummer: Faith Ford Vice Principal Murney: Brad Garrett Helga: Carol Kane
Directed by Adam Shankman. Written by Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant. A Walt Disney Pictures release. Rated PG. (97 min)