ABC Film Challenge – Action – E – Eraser (1996) Movie Review
Director: Chuck Russell
Writer: Tony Puryear, Walon Green, Michael S Chernuchin (Screenplay)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan, James Coburn, Robert Pastorelli, James Cromwell, Patrick Kilpatrick (Nessie)
Plot: A Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Eraser starts as we meet Johnny Kruger (Schwarzenegger) who helps people in witness protection get safety. He will eraser their past to give them a future. When John gets assigned to protect Lee (Williams) who has become the target of everyone involved in a high-tech weapons deal.
Johnny wants to make sure Lee knows he is the only one that she can trust, when he learns that one of his own DeGuerin (Caan) has turned on the department, looking to frame him for the murder.
Thoughts on Eraser
Eraser is an action thriller that will dive into the world of high-tech weapons deals and the man that can make people disappear for their own protection. As he finds himself needing to use all his skills to keep a witness alive after she uncovers a disturbing truth. The story will show how people will need protectors in life when they need to uncover the truth. As well as how a web of conspiracy will leave people needing to turn to people for trust and safety.
This feels like the 90s movie, with some cool weapons creations that shoot through walls, like pulse weapons. Arnold Schwarzenegger is wonderfully over the top in the movie, being the action star, we know he truly is. James Caan in the villainous role works well too, knowing he has the ability to talk his way out of anything. Eraser is a great fun action movie.
Final Thoughts – Eraser is great fun, with Arnie doing what he is great at.
3 replies on “Eraser (1996) Movie Review”
To me, this film was where it peaked for him – afterwards, it seemed that they couldn’t figure out what was next in the acton genre for Arnold – I interviewed him at the Cannes Film Festival for “The Last Action Hero” and there was much tension behind-the-scenes as they had just had their test screening and it bombed…he was professional as always, but they really were caught off-guard by the audience’s unwillingness to let him stretch…anyway just my POV but you are right a pure 90’s action film
It is strange that Last Action hero Bombed, because now the audience loves what the movie did. in fairness Dwayne Johnson went through the same awkward stage with his Disney contract. sometimes people just want people to fail, but nowadays people are given a chance to try something different
Critics killed it and it was poisoned before it had a chance