Director: Adam Shankman
Writer: Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant (Screenplay)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Lauren Graham, Faith Ford, Brittany Snow, Max Thieriot, Chris Potter, Carol Kane, Brad Garrett
Plot: Having recovered from wounds received in a failed rescue operation, Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe is handed a new assignment: Protect the five Plummer kids from enemies of their recently deceased father — a government scientist whose top-secret experiment remains in the kids’ house.
Tagline – This Navy S.E.A.L. Meets His Match.
Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Fun Family Film
Story: The Pacifier starts as Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe (Diesel) has his latest mission go wrong, leading to the man they were saving to be killed and himself injured. His latest assignment involves him needing to care for children of the scientist he failed to save. Shane arrives when the mother Julie (Ford) is leaving, with the children including Seth (Thieriot), Zoe (Snow), Lulu (York), Peter and baby Tyler.
Shane must learn to earn the trust of the children to work together as they see him as a new babysitter, while his mission is to locate the missing program created by their father and protect them from the danger that is coming their way.
Thoughts on The Pacifier
Characters – Shane Wolfe is a trained Navy SEAL who has led teams around the world on covert mission. His latest mission will be a new test, babysitting five children who don’t follow any instructions. Shane will use his military training to put the children in line, while learning helping them with their problems in the growing up process. Principal Claire Fletcher is the one connection Shane has in the school, she sees the change in the children’s behavior under Shane’s leadership. Julie is the wife and mother that must leave Shane with her children to get the final piece to the puzzle in her husband’s life. The children each have their own problems in school, ones that Shane will help them overcome.
Performances – Vin Diesel is surprisingly impressive in this role where he does hit the funny parts, while not being afraid to have a laugh at his own expense. Lauren Graham and Faith Ford are both solid in the supporting roles. the children actors including Brittany Snow and Max Thieriot both hit the growing roles needed for the film.
Story – The story here follows a Navy SEAL that must protect a young family after their father is killed and his secret device is wanted by different countries from around the world. we get the fish out of water situation with how Shane must deal with the world he has been thrown into. We do have what feels like a backburner story in the government needing information, which works well enough, but we do end up focusing more on the way Shane helps the children deal with life after their father. The school issues are real and show just how people can achieve with the right support and otherwise this does check all the boxes for an easy to watch family story.
Action/Comedy – The action side of this film mostly uses the known action scenes, only covers them in comedy, with only moments of the final act having any real peril in. The comedy doesn’t stop there are we also get to see how the everyday family man life is difficult for the military person.
Settings – The film takes us through the everyday settings, this is to help make sure that Shane can keep the children safe, while their mother is away on business, he learns the layout of the house, the school and the neighbourhood to make sure they remain safe.
Scene of the Movie – Training the kids.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It isn’t as good as Kindergarten Cop.
Final Thoughts – This is a simple fun family film, it will get laughs when it needs to and will handle the serious situations when it needs, it doesn’t reach the levels of excellent, but you can enjoy the ride.
Overall: Fun and enjoyable.
Rating
