Opening 14 Apr 2005
Directed by:
Adam Shankman
Writing credits:
Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon
Principal actors:
Max Thieriot, Brittany Snow, Faith Ford, Lauren Graham, Vin Diesel
Buena Vista International presents a family comedy starring action hero Vin Diesel. Shane Wolf (Diesel) is a US Navy Marine SEAL involved in freeing a hostage-taken American scientist. All goes smoothly till the very last instant and the hostage is killed, leaving behind a wife, four kids, and top secret information in a safety deposit box in Switzerland. The powers that be need access to the information in the box so the wife is accompanied to Europe and Wolf is ordered to baby-sit the kids: two teenagers, a younger child and a baby. The challenges he faces – which are supposed to far surpass anything he has had to deal with till now – are the core of the movie; yet how often are we expected to laugh at the age-old “tough guy overwhelmed by diaper changing” gag?
The Pacifier will certainly put you to sleep for its lack of originality, character development and humour. It is impossible to know if Vin Diesel has any real talent beyond being an action hero (I find him much more sympathetic in that role), and I'm sure that this will not be remembered as one of Buena Vista's better productions – regardless of box-office figures. (Osanna Vaughn)
