A Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.
As someone who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a staple of action films. From “Conan the Barbarian” to “The Terminator” to “Commando” to “Predator” and beyond, there is no denying that he was at the top of his game for decades. Once the mid-90s hit, however, his star power began to wane. After the success of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “True Lies,” he seemed to be back on top. However, with the failure of “Last Action Hero” and “Junior,” his career landed on shaky ground. In 1996, he bounced back with the action vehicle “Eraser,” which grossed $242.2 million worldwide on a $100 million budget, making it one of the year’s top-grossing films. Alas, that would be the last action film Schwarzenegger would make at his peak. Everything he made after that, “Jingle All the Way,” “Batman & Robin,” “End of Days,” “The 6th Day,” and “Collateral Damage,” were box office duds. While he surged again with the release of “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” in 2003, that would mark the end of an era. Schwarzenegger was no longer a marketable name. When he went back to acting after serving as California’s governor from 2003 to 2011, he no longer ruled the box office.
“Eraser” is about as classic ’90s action as you can get. It’s the kind of movie that could only have been made in that era. It returned Arnold to what he did best—blowing things up left and right, dropping cheesy one-liners, and mowing down villains without breaking a sweat. Arnold plays U.S. Marshal John Kruger, a man who erases the lives and identities of people entering the Witness Protection Program. As the movie’s tagline reads, “He will erase your past to protect your future.” When a young woman named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams), informs the FBI that executives at her company, Cyrez, have financed the creation of an electromagnetic rifle, which they intend to sell on the black market, they offer to put her into Witness Protection but she refuses.
When she is attacked at home by mercenaries whom Cyrez sent, Kruger intervenes and kills them all. They escape and learn that other witnesses who had come forward have been killed because someone at Witness Protection leaked their information. She reluctantly agrees to be ‘erased,’ and Kruger fakes her death, making the world believe she’s gone for good. But when he discovers that the person leaking witness names is someone he trusts, the tables turn. Suddenly, his own people are after him, and both he and Lee have to act fast if they want to survive for real this time.
Chuck Russell, who made “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” “The Blob,” and “The Mask,” takes on directing duties and delivers a highly enjoyable action film, even though some scenes go totally off the rails. There’s one scene where Kruger jumps out of a plane with a parachute, only to have James Caan’s villain whip the aircraft around and try to mow him down mid-air. As the plane bears down on him, Kruger pulls out his Desert Eagle and starts firing straight at it. It’s so over-the-top and ridiculous, but for an Arnold movie, it just works. In another scene, Kruger and Lee are trapped in the Reptile House of the Central Park Zoo, surrounded by several bad guys. With just two bullets left, Kruger shoots the glass of one enclosure, releasing the alligators, who quickly take care of the bad guys. As one approaches Kruger, he shoots it, killing it instantly, stating, “You’re luggage.” It has gone on to become a fan-favorite, campy quote, one of many from Schwarzenegger’s illustrious career.
For a Schwarzenegger action film, Chuck Russell cast old pros James Caan and James Coburn, which helped add realism and forced Arnold to raise his game. And it works. His performance is more grounded than his previous efforts, and you can tell he is bringing his A-game whenever he shares a scene with them. It is classic Arnold—over-the-top at times, but it works—even the most excessive scenes land just right.
There was a part of me that was sad while watching “Eraser” because I knew it was the last big solo action film Schwarzenegger did before he moved into politics. Even after retiring as Governor of California, Schwarzenegger returned to movies like THE EXPENDABLES. While those films were a blast, they were really ensemble action movies, made to showcase a huge lineup of both classic and modern action stars, rather than giving Schwarzenegger a solo spotlight. If you’re an action fan and have never seen “Eraser,” I would highly recommend it as one of the last big ’90s action films, not just for Arnold, but in general.
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