Eraser (1996) User Reviews

Arnold Knew How To Make Entertaining Films

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 13 May 2006]

A decade ago, this Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick was fairly hot stuff but I wonder if it would have the impact today since special effects are so much better and we've seen so many of these type of action stories in the past 10 years.

One of Arnold's keys to his successful career in films was simply that his movies were entertaining, and that's why people come to the theaters. High-brow critics often forget that. "Eraser" is a prime example. Entertainment alone is how this particular movie survives since common logic doesn't exist while violence and profanity are overdone. But, despite it's low-brow tastes and stupidity, it's still generally fun to watch if you can put your brain on hold for two hours. It's also fun to hear if you have a nice surround system.

This movie has one of the most outrageous action scenes I've ever seen on film, even to this day: one in which Arnold hangs from the outside of a jet airplane, finally lets go, free-falls to catch his parachute that had been ripped off, and then has to worry about the jet plane which had circled around and was going to smash him!!

The audio came into play nicely each time the super rifle that was featured in the movie was shot. Vanessa Williams plays the female lead satisfactorily and James Caan is very effective as the villain. Robert Pastorelli and James Coburn also add to the fun. A few laughs along the way help this no-brainer to become even more entertaining.

Arnold Satisfies Once Again

[TimBoHannon · 7/10 · 6 January 2008]

After Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1997 heart surgery, his box office popularity faded. 1996's "Kindergarten Cop" is a comedy, and he did not play the lead role in "Batman and Robin," even though his name grabbed him top billing. That makes "Eraser" his last great action film until "Terminator 3" became his last hurrah, for now anyway. Schwarzenegger plays John Kruger, "The Eraser." He puts the protection in the Witness Protection Program.

I cannot imagine a better beginning. Two thugs have invaded the home of a Federal witness (Robert Pastorelli). His wife writhes on the floor as the duo prepare to burn the house. Hearing gagged screams of a visibly bound woman having gasoline poured on her is not a pleasant experience for most people, nor is the sight of an innocent man about to have his tongue removed. The sounds and images ramp up audience hate towards the two, then greatly increases the euphoria when Kruger comes in and kills them in a most unpleasant fashion. His timely rough justice spurs us to root even for him even harder later on, even if the effect is on a subconscious level.

His next assignment is Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who works Cyrez, a weapons manufacturer. Company President William Donahue (the always dependable James Cromwell) is selling high tech weapons on the open market, weapons that are supposed to be for the United States only. As Kruger points out, the men who recruit Cullen fail to inform her that she will need to be placed under Witness Protection. She refuses the program and returns home. An encounter with hi-tech hit men forces her to reconsider, and Kruger places her in a secret location and gives her a new identity.

The new weapon is the rail gun. It uses magnetic fields to propel aluminum rounds close to the speed of light. Of course, that means it can shoot through walls, and its scope can see through them, though not in great detail. There is a side shot of one being fired later, and the rounds are obviously not moving as quickly as advertised. They leave a visible trail, but it takes two of three frames for them to move the length of the shot, when it should be all the way through in one, but I don't care. The graphic looks cool and such a small detail is hardly a deal breaker.

Any list of the positives must start with Vanessa Williams. Cullen is hardly a part with Oscar caliber demands, but Williams plays her about as perfectly as possible. She is firm and disdainful when speaking to Donahue, then firm and surprised during her later meeting with FBI agents. She is often required to act fearfully, and in a state of controlled panic. Selling those emotions is not easy. I have acting experience, I should know. The former Miss America is more known as a singer than an actress, but her performance here illustrates why she received a musical theater scholarship to Syracuse. The aftermath of the first attack on her provides her best moment.

Similar praise goes to James Caan, playing Kruger's mentor. Caan is also a talented actor. The same can also be said of James Coburn as the Witness Protection agency's highest officer. Both had spent over thirty years in movie acting by 1996, and there abilities are evident in how well they convey their authority. There are too many action films with weak acting, but people like Williams, Caan, Coburn and Pastorelli ensure that "Eraser" is the opposite. Melora Walters provides arguably the best acting in her small but animated part as the Pastorelli character's wife.

The action, of course, must be well done, and for the most part it lives up to the Schwarzenegger standards. The opening scene is set up so well it does not have to be good, but it is, and the precedent is set. The action is not Arnold's best, but still more than adequate. I was disappointed at how little the rail gun is used, and I probably would have voted an eight if it made more appearances. When it does come, the action is not disappointing. Watching Arnold wield them brought a big smile to my face. Their lack of screen time a detriment, but with good acting and clever plot, there are still more than enough qualities to earn a full recommendation for yet another good effort from Mr. Schwarzenegger.

Not classic Arnie, but good Arnie

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 16 August 2014]

To enjoy Eraser you must...

1. Already like Schwarzenegger and his films 2. Suspend your disbelief 3. Have popcorn and nibbles on hand while you watch 4. Find a comfy chair 5. Enjoy the ride If you can do that, you'll find that your two hours spent in front of the TV will not be wasted.

Simple as that. Some people called Eraser 'Arnie's last great action film' (not including Terminator 3). That it may be. He got old. He went into politics. Action heroes became younger, better-looking and the stunts they participated in more elaborate and dangerous.

So maybe Eraser is Arnie's 'swansong?' Maybe not. I hear he's gearing up to do some 'post-politics' acting. If so, following in Eraser's footsteps would not be that badder place to start.

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Exciting action with Arnold

[Bogey Man · 7/10 · 6 July 2002]

Chuck Russel's Eraser is exploding and intense action film starring Arnold Scwarzenegger as secret government officer, who "erases" people i.e. destroys their past in order to save their future. He gets to erase an important witness (Vanessa Williams) who knows about her company's illegal activities as it sells guns to foreigners. The film is full of action and mayhem, which is great since hardboiled action films are not made too often in Hollywood anymore.

There are hardly any stops throughout the movie and the viewer should not be bored, at least I wasn't now that I watched the movie for the second time. It looks fantastic in its original widescreen format, and this is definitely among Arnold's more noteworthy performances and proves the talent of director Chuck (Scorpion King, Elm Street 3) Russell.

There are many effects that look pretty realistic and the crocodile shoot out is one memorable scene, and maybe that is the screenwriters' comment on zoos' that don't feed their animals sufficiently as the crocodiles are VERY hungry and fierce for food! Also, there is one over the top airplane scene, that really grabs an attention. The actors are great throughout the film and James Caan doesn't make an exception. The finale is perhaps little too familiar and relies on gun fights and explosions, but still, as a whole, I found this film very pleasant experience in its own genre. It is not the greatest action film ever made in Hollywood, but it is one of the most interesting US action films of the 90's.

7/10

good action, fair body count but needs better wisecracks

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 May 2015]

US Marshal John Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is an expert at erasing identities at WITSEC. Chief Beller (James Coburn) assigns Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) to him. She's a whistle-blower at defense contractor Cyrez Corporation. After getting the evidence for the government, she is resistant to WITSEC and killers come after her with high-tech weapons. Fellow Marshal Robert DeGuerin (James Caan) tells Kruger that someone is killing witnesses.

It's a nice action thriller. There are lots of gun action. The body count is pretty good. Arnold gets to hang out of a plane and battle some crocodiles. It probably needs a few more wisecracks to be as fun as some of Arnold's best. The one-liners aren't quite as good. I like it but people may be tired of his big action movies by that point.

Exciting, fast-paced action thriller.

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 19 August 2021]

At the height of his action superstar career, Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies were all about guns and explosions. 'Eraser' delivers both in abundance.

Fortunately, 'Eraser' is not just a shallow action movie. This action thriller has flesh to the bone, and characters I cared about. We've seen this a million times before, where a victim of circumstance needs protection, being pursued by the bad guys, but few as thrilling and exciting as 'Eraser'.

Vanessa Williams stars as Lee Cullen, a senior executive at a weapons manufacturing company, Cyrez. She contains a disc with information on developing secret, powerful weapons, and some people will kill relentlessly to get their hands on the disc.

What follows, is an action-packed, fast-paced cat and mouse game, filled with intrigue and a few twists. There's loads of action and good visual effects. There are some funny moments, too. The crocodile scene was very well done! 'Eraser' delivers on every level, with an exciting finale.

Another good Arnold Schwarzenegger movie

[jeff7540 · 7/10 · 8 April 2007]

the story goes as follows Lee Cullen a worker for Cyrez Corporation which develops top secret weapons stumbles upon illegal arms deals and acquires the information and barley escapes with help from the F.B.I and is then placed under the protection of U.S Marshell John Kruger who erases the past of witnesses under Witness Protection to give them a future Lee however has been targeted by terrorists to cover up the scam and John Kruger is being targeted by some of his fellow US Marshells and is framed for murder now he has to protect Lee prove his innocence and exposes the illegal arms deal before it happens. I give Eraser seven out of ten because its one of Arnolds best movies of the late 1990's just see it for yourself to believe it.

Perfectly acceptable hard-hitting fun!

[ChoiBaby · 25 June 1999]

John Kruger, a.k.a. "The Eraser" (The big man himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a ferocious U.S. Federal Marshal working as a member for the Witness Protection Agency. His latest assignment is to protect the beautiful and astute Dr. Lee Cullen (Miss America's Vanessa Williams). For Miss Cullen is an employee working for a powerful engineering company specializing in high technological products for the future. This company is responsible for manufacturing powerful laser guns with destructive capabilities and mechanisms which allow these weapons to produce maximum damage. The original intent of these delicate weapons is for military purposes. What Miss Cullen does not know is that there is a conspiracy going on from within the company... Lately, Cullen has evinced an illegal, black market trading and selling of these top secret, laser ray weapons to rogue foreign terrorists... Cullen's life is in jeopardy...she has been targeted for murder...and only John Kruger can save and protect her from imminent threats...by "erasing" Cullen's old identity and implanting a new one...

Robert Deguerin (James Caan), Kruger's superior, has to make sure that everything in this operation is running smoothly and that Kruger does a decent job keeping his eye on Cullen. However, even with the guaranteed safekeeping of her own life by Kruger, Cullen must learn to defend herself from the clutches of her ruthless employer and hitherto unknown criminal mastermind organizing the whole deal alongside with renegade extremists... As well, Cullen learns to trust no one for the government itself may be embroiled in this entire catastrophe...

What predictably follows throughout ERASER is a melange of excessive firepower, brutal fist-fighting, shoot-outs performed with celerity, tons of violent carnage, massive explosions, and nonstop excitement. Yes, ERASER is a definite high testosterone thriller with state of the art effects and a wonderful sense of humor thanks to Arnold's crafty one-liners.

As a chef who owes a "debt of gratitude" to "The Eraser," Robert Pastorelli ( Striking Distance, TV's Murphy Brown ) shines with some spotlight stealing moments also.

ERASER is fun-filled and exhilarating, with a pace that moves lightning fast. However, a paucity of character development or originality in the film's cliché story-line bring this movie down a notch or so. The scantiness of actual substance is sadly common in ERASER. The premise is wonderful, but the product could have been better. The director, cast, and production crew should have been slightly more ambitious with this film's mold...

That having been said, ERASER is a fine treat for male audiences. There's plenty of action, energy, and blood with a fair amount of thrills. Interesting adventure sequences include Arnold parachuting from a burning passenger jet and Arnold again attempting to fight against a myriad of man-eating crocodiles bare-fisted. (Though instead, he had to resort to conventional firearms as weapons.) By the end, when the battle is every man for himself, Arnold's methods of nailing and eliminating the enemy with their own medicine is pure poetic justice!

Some outrageous stunts and special effects, plus the presence of Herculean Arnold Schwarzenegger boost ERASER above complete imbecility. Still, the failure to convey any character depth or meaning into a simplistic plot may classify ERASER as an "escapist" film, but also a "mindless" action film as well. Never once, do the characters convince the audience the gravity of the situation. The performers never persuade the audience to think about the consequences of their actions. Is ERASER a thought-provoking film? Yeah right! ERASER is a standard, "kill or be killed" thriller, nothing more.

Considering Arnold's earlier blockbuster achievements which actually included three dimensional characters such as TOTAL RECALL (1990), TERMINATOR 2, JUDGMENT DAY, (1991) and TRUE LIES (1994), this film is somewhat rudimentary in characterization. For many people though, this quality may not exactly be a setback.

ERASER is a film that is always fun to sit back, watch, and enjoy the action! If you expect anything profound from this movie...try again. ERASER is a cool, better than expected action film with great special effects, two appealing leads, and a package full of car explosions and other assortments of surprises and tricks. Sure, ERASER may not be a "classic" action film, but entertaining, it definitely is. A better plot though, can prove to be very conducive for a film of this caliber...

RATING: **1/2 out of ****.

Better than I remember

[claudonio · 7/10 · 5 November 2000]

I just saw "Eraser" again, and I am suprised to find that I enjoyed it more than when I saw it before. It Delivers thrills, laughs and lot of action. Schwarzenegger is not Robert DeNiro, but he is likeable in his role here. The story is intriguing: A U.S. Marshall that erases peoples identities. This is not Schwarzengger's best movie but it is definitly worth a look.

Color by the Numbers Action by Aunauld

[D Airey · 3/10 · 12 November 2000]

Take every action movie made by Arnold, put them in a blender, set for chop, put the pieces together when you're done and you have Eraser. Now I'm not saying that Arnold makes the most intellectually challenging movies I've seen, but generally there's either a tenuous story or sense of humor to hold the whole thing together. This movie has nothing to make you care about the bad guys or the good guys. The action, while complete with lots of explosions and guns, is never very interesting. What Showgirls did for nudity, Eraser does for action.

Rock 'em sock 'em cinema

[thegouch23 · 8/10 · 13 November 2004]

Eraser is a film typical of its genre. What genre, you ask? Why, the "the terrorists-are-coming-and-it's one-man-against-the-world-so-shoot-em-up, blow-em-up, and save-the-girl-and-the-day" genre, of course. Too complicated for you? Don't worry, because the movie isn't. As a matter of fact, it's readily accessible to anyone over the age of 7 - not that this movie is age-appropriate for everyone over the age of 7 (Note: This was my favorite movie when I was 10) - but rather that the concepts, and thus the plot, are simple. This isn't a movie you go see if you're seeking a two hour thinking experience.

Casting Schwarzenegger for the lead instantly gives the main character, John Kruger, a personality of his own. Though nothing is ever known of his background (even by the end credits), that doesn't matter. Dialogue is used mainly for two purposes: to explain the unfolding saga of the federal scandal in the movie, and for the ever-composed and ever-cool Schwarzenegger to calm Dr. Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams), a key witness in the scandal saga. Instead, what drives the movie is the action sequences and Schwarzenegger's resourcefulness in a myriad of combat situations where he always finds himself outmanned, outgunned, and beaten to the first punch, yet always manages to gain the upper hand.

Williams does an excellent job, and in many ways, is forced to be more of an "actor," per se, than Schwarzenegger. She has to display a wide array of emotions, from sadness, to fear, to regret, to resolve, and even anger, while Schwarzenegger is only called on to mainly display the final two. James Caan is legitimately a scumbag in his role as Robert DeGuerin, and James Coburn, in a smaller role, is fatherly to Kruger as Chief Beller. Solid, unspectacular performances all around...save that of Caan, who borders on something more.

The action in this movie is incredible for its time. The rail guns are visually impressive if not scientifically plausible (but who cares about that anyway?), and Schwarzenegger's combat ingenuity gives flavor and style to the action sequences. Director Russell seems to show a bizarre fixation with bloody puncture wounds (objects protruding entirely through the skin) throughout, but does show some creativity of his own in placing Schwarzenegger in clever combat situations where he can use his mind to outsmart his many more-heavily-armed enemies. Russell also plays with the moviegoer in several situations, making it unclear whether or not Kruger is alive after several close calls. This keeps moviegoers on the edge of their seats for the nonstop thrill ride that rarely pauses to take a breath. From the first scene to the last, explosions, shooting, and violence are the norm, and it is not meant to be any other way.

The dodgy effect here and there, but this Schwarzenegger vehicle is good fun

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 7 July 2016]

A super-slick slice of action, starring the reliable Arnie. This fast-paced flick has a lot bigger budget than Arnie's '80s offerings but it's not quite as enjoyable, despite an eye-popping array of visual effects and non-stop action sequences. There's a clinical detachment to this film, mainly due to the 'seen it all before' feel, as nothing really proves memorable or fresh.

However there are lots of reasons to watch. Arnie may look a little old these days but he's still as tough as ever, even more so than before as he has his hands and legs impaled by flying shrapnel (great scenes) and rips them out. Lots of baddies are killed and shot by Schwarzenegger, and it's great to see him return to a solid action role after the rather nauseating comedies like JUNIOR and JINGLE ALL THE WAY. Vanessa Williams is the female lead and remains competent, but being female she isn't really given much to do. James Caan enjoys himself in an over-the-top role as a sneering villain, much like Michael Caine in ON DEADLY GROUND. He makes a good adversary.

The special effects are all outstanding in this film, the super guns being most memorable as they leave plasma rings in the air after a bullet (an effect used more extensively in THE MATRIX). There are also a number of outrageous stunts and action sequences, set pieces including Arnie jumping out of a plane to get his parachute and a fight in a zoo, where crocodiles eat a number of bad guys in a hilarious moment: just a shame about the extremely dodgy nature of the CGI effects. The BBFC outrageously cut close to four minutes of the violence on this film's UK release, and it's definitely worth tracking down the uncut version. The violence in this is pleasingly hard-hitting and old school, as Schwarzenegger doesn't shy away from taking out the bad guys – and some good guys too, if need be.

Erased from memory...

[fmarkland32 · 2/10 · 4 September 2006]

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a witness protection agent who protects Vanessa Williams from James Caan and the usual goons who are looking to do her in due to what she has uncovered on the computer and such. (The movie is very vague on plot threads) You would think that any Schwarzenegger movie that featured him in his one man army form would be great and you would be wrong. Eraser is more Last Action Hero than Commando and it becomes quite obvious that we are watching a movie that thinks it is far more intelligent and interesting than it ever is. The movie has some action but it is generally so far outside logic and common sense (Arnold VS Gators?) that it just becomes apparent that we are watching an exercise in technology. This would have been all watchable had the movie contained some suspense but the movie doesn't and in the end we watch a one sided one man army grunt his way through a bunch of stunt-men extras. All of it as dull as a butter knife.

* out of 4-(Bad)

"You have been erased".

[dworldeater · 7/10 · 7 August 2018]

Eraser was a return to form for action star Arnold in Eraser, a box office hit and his best action movie since Total Recall. Eraser is big budget 90's action with an A list cast, high tech weapons, a fast pace and packed with action. James Caan is an excellent villain and Vanessa Williams is hot to trot as the damsel in distress. The stuntwork and action was done well and the film as a whole is pretty tight and well made with a plot twist here and there as well as a little comic relief. Eraser is a pretty good choice for an evening's entertainment and a good 90's action movie.

Fights. Explosions. More fights. Even more and bigger explosions.

[imseeg · 6/10 · 29 May 2022]

I hadnt seen this Arnie flick yet. Did I miss out on something? Yes on a massive amount of fights and explosions. They keep on coming, the one bigger and louder than the other.

You guessed it, this is not an Oscar winning drama about feelings, but another testosteron filled Schwarzenegger movie in which Arnie is fighting bad guy James Caan (solid performance).

Brainless action entertainment Schwarzenegger is knonw for. Quite enjoyable, although quite silly as well. But the nice kind of silly!

One of the first movies released on DVD

[kingofdanerds · 6/10 · 10 July 2021]

True Lies is often considered to be the last good/great Arnold Schwarzenegger action film. That is because Eraser it seems (at least to me before actually viewing the film), just did not see the amount of success that Arnold's previous action films achieved. Eraser was released in 1996 and had a troubled production where, if it was not for Schwarzenegger, this film would not have been released. The film was directed by Chuck Russell (The Mask, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Scorpion King) and stars (obviously) Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator, Total Recall, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day). The film was a box office hit but was not as well received as Arnold's previous films. But that is not to say that this film has it's fans as I have seen a following for this film.

John Kruger is a US Marshall and works as a person who helps protect witnesses. One particular assignment sees Kruger protecting a woman who has information on a company who are developing high tech weapons that are being sold to the wrong people. It is up to Kruger not only to protect the witness, but to make sure these weapons do not get into the wrong hands.

Let's be real here, Eraser is nowhere close to being Arnold's best. Yet, it is far from being his worst. Eraser, for me, was better than I was expecting for the most part. It reminds me of a Dolph Lundgren film released in 2001 called Hidden Agenda. Just imagine this film, hardly any action and fun, and no high tech weaponry. I was surprised that this film was pretty high tech with the whole "rail gun" being the main focus. I find it too high tech because if you take it out of the film, the film itself is pretty realistic (for an action movie at least). This high tech weapon takes out any sense of realism. Yet, the weapon itself is pretty unique. The weapon has it's own logical issues, but that is action movie logic for you (and don't take that as me defending it). The special effects are, let's say dated. Completely CG and not always convincing. Mostly used with the firing of the "rail gun weapon and a few of the bigger action scenes. Otherwise, I do not have a huge problem with it but considering that this is a point in film history that CG is being used and used fairly well, I would expect a little more from this film. Speaking of the action, the action here is fairly good. There are some scenes here that are just plain fun, something that should be present in any good Schwarzenegger action film. We get maybe one big action scene and the rest are fun little action scenes mostly consisting of shootouts and an explosion here and there. Aside from the action, the film has some good comedic moments and we get the usual Arnold one liners. Though when none of that is present on screen, the film feels pretty generic and that is the overall feel for this film. Arnold is still on his up and up in his role of John Kruger. Arnold does give us a good performance and plays the protector character fairly well. You feel safe when around this character. Vanessa Williams plays the woman being protected and she does fine as well and plays a female character capable of holding her own. The story overall takes a little bit to get interesting and when a nice twist is revealed, the film gets a little bit interesting. Again, the film does not do much by itself to be entirely interesting without the help of action and comedy. I should note that this film's cinematographer, did cinematography for Terminator 2: Judgment Day and it is very apparent and looks amazing here with the lighting and the ability to give us viewers a good view of the action taking place. Lastly, Alan Silvestri does a good job with the music here. It is nice to hear it in the background while the action is taking place.

Eraser, overall, is just an OK film, despite my apparent overwhelming praise. It does not surpass some of Arnold's finest but it is still worth a watch as it does have it's moments.

Typical shoot-'em-up

[Enid-3 · 23 February 1999]

This is a completely typical, and unbelievable, action film - all the sophisticated weaponry they throw at him can't give Arnold Schwarzenegger more than a broken arm. Nonetheless, very good viewing for those times when you are tired, and want to put your brain into neutral.

Competent action flick with Arnie is moronic and forgettable

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 24 June 2020]

A US marshal and witness protection specialist (Schwarzenegger) "erases" the identities of people he's assigned to protect, including a woman (Vanessa Williams) who has damning evidence against a high-tech weapons corporation. Meanwhile the marshal becomes suspicious of some of his coworkers. James Caan and Robert Pastorelli are on hand.

"Eraser" (1996) is a proficient Schwarzenegger action thriller; Vanessa is beautiful, Pastorelli is amusing and Caan is effective. There's a thrilling skydiving scene and a well-done zoo sequence with crocagators. Unfortunately, the opening act failed to really pull me in with its convoluted storytelling and the 'final battle' sequence is dull and eye-rolling. Both Siskel & Ebert surprisingly gave this a 'thumbs up.' God knows why.

The film runs 1 hour, 55 minutes and was shot in Southern Cal, New York City, New Jersey, DC, Maryland and New Brunswick, Canada.

GRADE: C+

Nice plot...

[Thanos_Alfie · 6/10 · 8 March 2021]

"Eraser" is an Action - Thriller movie in which we watch a man who is a specialist on erasing people identities trying to protect the life of a Witness Protection worker but also his from some people that are involved on a special weapon.

I found this movie interesting due to its plot that had many plot twists which changed the flow of it and made it even more interesting. The direction which was made by Chuck Russell, it was good and I liked the way he combined action with suspense. Regarding the interpretations of Arnold Schwarzenegger who played as Eraser, Vanessa Williams who played as Lee and James Caan who played as DeGuerin, I have to admit that they were all very good and the combination of them worked very well. Finally, I have to say that "Eraser" is a nice action movie and I recommend it to anyone who is ready to watch action, mystery and suspense.

Arnie at his worst.

[skywalker_2003 · 1/10 · 23 September 2018]

Bad directing, cheap action sequences, bad cgi and nothing more.

One of Arnie's Most Underrated Action Vehicles

[monkeysgalore · 8/10 · 23 April 2020]

I again want to give this the full five, but not sure. I don't get why more people don't like this. It's so underrated, and yet it's everything people love about Arnold and his movies. Loud, big, violent action, cheesy one-liners, a good villain, and this time it even has entertainingly bad CGI an Vanessa Williams, which are two things I'm always down with watching. Mm

Arnold takes himself more seriously here it seems, at least until the second act. He delivers a great, movie-carrying performance as usual, and is compliment by the weirdly good Vanessa Williams, who ends up not being annoying. James Caan is a great villain, and definitely helps elevate it.

The action is exactly as you'd expect. With a plot involving big, hi-tech "chainguns", you know this is gonna be good. The opening house scene, the cabin scene, the plane scene, the zoo shootout, and the lab shootout are all cool, along with other scenes. The plane scene defies any logic or realism, and is lots of fun. The CGI is bad, but whatever. There's also a scene with a bad CGI crocodile that rips a dude's arm off, and attacks Arnold, who makes up for the effects by kicking it in the face and shooting it. The final battle though, is just perfect. It's total balls-out action, with Arnold becoming a one-man army as usual, and shooting tons of people with two chainguns before fighting James Caan on top of a giant metal container.

I really love this and recommend it. It needs more attention and is as good as most of Arnold's other films.

Keeps On Ticking

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 19 February 2021]

Not up there with some of the big man's great films but still an enjoyable action movie filled with a high quality badguy.

Does it reach any great heights? No not overly.

Does it provide some fun entertainment? Sure.

If you have watched most of The Schwartz's filmography then this will be a solid addition to your efforts. If you haven't seen his classics, start there :)

Only some bad CGI slows things down

[ctomvelu1 · 7/10 · 14 February 2010]

Watching ERASER again recently, I can truthfully say Ah-nuld still had what it took as late as 1996. And with veteran action director Chuck Russell at the helm, we are presented with a slam-bang action movie that cooks, although it is not as well-executed as action movies of the 1980s. Ah-nuld is a federal officer hiding a very important crime witness (Vanessa Williams). Corrupt fellow officer James Caan is after her, along with about 200 other bad guys. The plot is silly, but the action sequences are for the most part rip-roaring. Some bad CGI intrudes from time to time. but that's about the worst that can be said of this fast-paced flick. Watch for several familiar faces in smaller roles, including the late, great Robert Pastorelli.

You're luggage.

[reddiemurf81 · 6/10 · 17 January 2022]

US Marshall John Kruger (Arnold) specializes in erasing the identities of those he's assigned to protect.

Lee Cullen (Williams) finds herself in need of John's protection when she discovers the corporation she works for (Cyrez) has developed illegal weaponry, and everyone from the people she works for to the FBI is looking to take her out.

This is pretty much your standard 90s action movie, and it's perfectly enjoyable if you want to watch an action movie (plus you get to see the lovely Vanessa Williams a lot 😃).

We're way beyond bullshit here.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 3 January 2009]

With an Oscar nomination for sound effects an award for music, this is no B-movie. It is Schwarzenegger in one of his best film roles.

He has a superb backup cast with Vanessa L. Williams, James Caan, and Robert Pastorelli.

The excitement never stops with fantastic weaponry and a really great shootout in the zoo.

Of course, you have to ignore the fact that Arnie manages to perform feats of magic with a shattered shoulder bone and an injured hand. He can do anything through the pain apparently.

But the airplane scene makes it all worthwhile.

More than a guilty pleasure, this is truly a movie worth watching over and over.