THE PEACEMAKER



Rated R - Running time: 2:03 - Released 9/26/97

Author's Note: This is one of the ten movie reviews I wrote for the October 30, 1997 issue of The Republican, the first week my reviews were ever published there. Because of space and time requirements, these ten reviews had to be especially brief, some even shorter than this Author's Note. Someday I will re-view them and re-review them so as to provide a more in-depth commentary, but for now you'll just have to live with the short version. Sorry. --JRM
Those darned Rooskies. They're at it again, only this time they're selling their nuclear weapons to irate Bosnians bent on blowing up the U.N. Excuse me a moment. HEY, HOLLYWOOD! THE COLD WAR IS OVER! Think they heard that? I doubt it. In this first release from the newly formed Dreamworks SKG production company (a Spielberg/Katzenberg/Geffen venture), we see nothing different from all the other cookie-cutter action/adventure movies of the last ten years. George Clooney does his patented hangdog charm; Nicole Kidman is woman, hear her roar. A sprinkle of emotion from each is thrown in as a formality, and is insincere. There is a touching flashback when the Bosnian terrorist (Marcel Iures) loses his wife and daughter in the war (thus sparking his desperate acts), but since there is no pre-establishment of their relationship, we don't feel much. Directed by Mimi Leder, the film has lots of yelling; lots of indescriminate shooting in crowds; lots of stuff blowing up. Improbable, but exciting -- if you're into that. ***
Copyright 1998 by John R. McEwen and The Republican

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