Chuck Russell’s ERASER from 1996 isn’t in my top ten Arnold Schwarzenegger flicks. In fact, it probably wouldn’t crack my top fifteen. That being said, there’s still some fun to be had here. I picked up the blu ray for a song, so it was my first time seeing the film on anything other than VHS and my first time seeing it in any capacity in at least a dozen years. With some nice action sequences and some hilariously bad one-liners, I’d say it’s the last mostly solid flick of Arnold’s classic period.
Arnold plays US Marshal John Kruger, the top agent for the Witness Security Protection Program aka WITSEC. He “erases” high priority witnesses by staging their deaths and relocating them until they can testify. His latest assignment involves protecting Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams), a whistleblower who has discovered a treasonous arms deal perpetrated by the company where she works. Futuristic rail guns are going to be sold to a notorious terrorist. She’s almost immediately outed and is forced to go on the run with Kruger, as it’s revealed that high level political officials are involved in the deal. The stakes are soon upped, though, when US Marshal Robert DeGuerin (James Caan), Kruger’s mentor, informs his protégé that there’s a mole inside WITSEC. Now, with no one they can trust, the pair tries to survive and obtain enough evidence to take down the bad guys. Other notable players include James Coburn as the chief of WITSEC, James Cromwell as Lee’s unscrupulous boss, Robert Pastorelli as a reformed wiseguy, Mark Rolston as a triggerman, John Slattery as an ineffectual FBI agent, and Roma Maffia as a journalist.
The script by Tony Puryear and Walon Green (based on a story by Puryear, Green, and Michael S Chernuchin) is a by the numbers affair, with more than a few plot holes. Purportedly, Frank Darabont and John Milius did some rewrites, but they are uncredited. There’s nothing in the basic story that you haven’t seen elsewhere. Arnold gives a solid performance, though he’s not really stretching here. Caan is fine, but he’s playing in his wheelhouse, as well. Williams is good, and we buy her character rising to the challenges she faces. The action sequences are legitimately fun, though. I especially enjoyed the jet/skydive section. The shootout in the zoo is cool, too, though the CG alligators are definitely showing their age at this point. A special effect that absolutely works, however, is all the stuff with the rail guns. The visualization of their X-ray capabilities is slick and gives the film a techy, almost sci fi, feel. On the other hand, Alan Silvestri’s score is cheesy as hell with wailing guitar stings that are much too on the nose.
There’s no doubt that Chuck Russell’s ERASER is far from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best film. It’s still pretty fun, though, and I definitely enjoyed all the bits with the rail guns. If you’ve seen all of the Austrian Oak’s classics many times and you’re looking for a more obscure effort from his filmography, you might be surprised at how effective this one is. Recommended, with caveats, for fans of WITNESS, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and MINORITY REPORT.
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