Eraser (1996)

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a treasure. Not only has he defined the face of action films alongside people like Sylvester Stallone, he has pretty much done almost anything and everything he set out to do, including a run as governor. Most of his films are either classics, or so entertaining you don't even care if they're a little iffy.

This one however, is neither. In fact, it is rather bland and quite possibly one of Schwarzenegger's most boring ones. 

The idea is simple: Arnold is John Kruger, a CIA operative who always works alone (of course) and who is tasked with erasing everything about people that go into the witness protection programme. This ensures their survival and also that they are able to testify when a grand court case is coming up. 

You know, to get the evildoers in prison.

When his path crosses that of a young lady who works for a tech company that is creating and selling high tech weaponry to some shady partners, things get dicey as there seems to be a mole in his department. So now he is not only responsible for the lady's safety, but also on a quest to clear his name, as he has obviously been framed for stuff he clearly never did.

Yes, it's one of those plots.

And see, there lies most of the problem: this is not Arnold at his most invulnerable (like 'Commando') or witty ('True Lies'), this is just what it is: a generic, middle-of-the-road action thriller. But even the thriller part is a stretch. This came out during a time when everything had to revolve around corporate espionage and shady dealings and all was high tech for reasons. This has shades of a film based on a Tom Clancy book, only less interesting and riveting. You can see the twists coming a mile away, there is no surprise who the double agent is, and even the action feels subdued or too absurd to be any fun. The idea of handheld railguns is cool and everyone will remember the shot of Arnold double-wielding them, but it isn't as exciting as it sounds. The fact that the CG is pretty awful doesn't help either. 

In most ways, this is a disappointment because it is so straight and boring. This is the film's biggest flaw: it is even so grey and pedestrian, there is no fun to be had. The hardcore Arnold-fans (like myself) will watch this from time to time, but even us Schwarzies will admit there are far better pictures starring the Austrian colossus.