The Peacemaker (1997)

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A highly entertaining, intelligent example of an action film, this has more style and thought than a thousand Van Damme films. Not that I'm ragging on Van Damme, but THE PEACEMAKER is a refreshingly complex example of an actioner, where director Leder doesn't mistake her audience for brain-dead teenagers, but instead viewers who want to use their brains while watching a film.THE PEACEMAKER is firmly embedded in the modern day, with main settings being Bosnia and other hostile locations. The criminals are thankfully fleshed out and not one-dimensional villains, they have reasons for committing their crimes which are just as sound as the reasons Clooney and Kidman have for tracking them down. While the film threatens to overload itself on too much technobabble and political conversations, there is still plenty of jaw-dropping action for those who like their films exciting.The set piece is probably a realistic car chase, where cars just don't explode instantly after crashing but have to be hit repeatedly before they are destroyed. Another scene is a helicopter vs. truck battle, and it also provides plenty of excitement. The final part of the film is a prolonged international chase, which never lets up until the very end. While there is little bloodshed, there are still a few strikingly brutal moments, such as when Clooney shoots a man in cold blood.George Clooney is one of today's more charismatic stars and he's a delight in the role of the gruff military guy, a role which seems to have been written especially for him. He is given able support by Nicole Kidman, an actress whom I have never liked much but she's stable enough here as the tough, assertive female lead whose tactics conflict with Clooney's. The rest of the cast is also polished and put in above average performances, especially the lead villain who comes across as sympathetic. THE PEACEMAKER may not win any prizes for originality but it's still a solid, tough film for those who like a meaty plot to get stuck in to, along with the requisite action scenes.

A US Army colonel (George Clooney) and a civilian woman (Nicole Kidman) supervising him must track down stolen Russian nuclear weapons before they are used by terrorists.My biggest problem with this film is that it seemed to me to be miscast. George Clooney is pretty good, and he plays the smarmy role he is great at doing (the modern day Cary Grant). Nicole Kidman seems off, though. The role never seems to fit her, and there never seems to be a clear understanding of who she is: bumbling, nervous librarian? Or assertive world-class diplomat? Not surprisingly, the movie has sort of faded into obscurity, and will probably continue to do so as time goes on.

The Peacemaker (1997): Dir: Mimi Leder / Cast: George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iures, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Goran Visnjic: First film produced by Dreamworks and it isn't a promising start. Title is wayward because nobody pauses long enough to figure out what peace means. Plot regards six nuclear bombs that a terrorist wishes to set off on American ground. George Clooney enters as a Special Forces Colonel who joins forces with a nuclear scientist played by Nicole Kidman. They manage to uncover all of the bombs save for one, which the terrorist possesses. Standard plot sidelined by action sequences that serve no other purpose other than to demonstrate production. Director Mimi Leder handles the action with great skill yet only Marcel Iures as a terrorist is the one broad role. He had lost his wife to the violence surrounding the area and he blames America. Clooney and Kidman are billed as names only. They begin with promising roles but soon enough they are on the run and narrowly avoiding death. Armin Mueller-Stahl makes an appearance before he is abruptly killed off. The characters are sidelined in favor of big budget explosions that basically make a lot of noise. The production is solid but the screenplay serves only action lovers and has little regard for the subject at hand. It is a forgettable film that serves mainly as a test object for Dreamworks. Score: 3 ½ / 10

Russian general massacres his troops, steals nuclear warheads from a transport train, and hides the evidence by setting off one warhead. Russian says it's an accident. White House nuclear expert Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) is sure that the bomb is detonated deliberately by terrorists and Special Operations Colonel Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) interrupts with an opinion that this is actually a robbery. The two have to work together to track down the missing nukes with the help of the Russian counterpart Dimitri Vertikoff (Armin Mueller-Stahl).This is basically a movie running on tracks. There is no originality. The villains are too interchangeable and not very compelling. It needs a big name to be the big bad. The investigation doesn't have enough tension. It tries to be a bit funny with Clooney camping it up a little. There is some action but it's not spectacular.