Anthony's Film Review - Eraser (1996)

Another heart-pounding action thriller featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger...

Eraser might not be the first movie you think of when you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sure, you might recall the Terminator movies more easily than Eraser, but that doesn't make the latter a bad film. In fact, I would consider it one of Schwarzenegger's exciting but overlooked action flicks. I remember when I saw this movie years ago in the theater. I had expected a typical action movie but saw that it was much better than expected.

The role that Schwarzenegger is given in Eraser suits him just as much as his Terminator roles. He is a U.S. marshal named John Kruger out to protect Vanessa Williams as Lee Cullen. The reason: she has discovered something fishy involving top-secret weapons. When a serious situation like this could endanger the life of a witness, it's time to take drastic action. Kruger proceeds to give Cullen a new identity, erasing the old one to leave behind no trace.

I am not going to talk about the plot anymore. It's really just there to set the stage for action. For example, consider one scene that takes place in Cullen's house. Kruger arrives to take her away before she is killed. That's precisely when the murder attempt is made. Kruger scrambles to do two things at once: protect Cullen and fire back at whoever is shooting at them. And it's not just bullets. The fight gets really heated when a bomb is thrown into the house, explodes, and throws nails everywhere. Kruger saves himself and Cullen using a refrigerator door.

This scene essentially represents the kind of action you'd expect to see: explosive, heart-pounding, adrenaline-filled, and high-octane. There are two other scenes I remember. One, believe it or not, takes place at a zoo and involves gunmen versus big crocodiles. The other is the climactic action scene. Obviously, I won't mention the details, but just keep in mind the four characteristics of the movie's action scenes that I just mentioned above.

Eraser is an exciting movie, not because Schwarzenegger does anything new. He simply continues what he has done best: dive into action. Let's not forget that he does have a voice and is also known for saying some interesting things. Besides "I'll be back" in the Terminator movies, he has "You've just been erased" in Eraser. Speaking of which, there is one scene where he delivers that line perfectly: the last scene of the movie. Just watch the last few minutes and be prepared to applaud once he says it.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Eraser, visit the Internet Movie Database.