Eraser never ranked among Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic classics, but does have a certain amount of historical significance. It was his last original action film that was a genuine box office hit, marking the end of a decade-long era where Arnold was the genre’s undisputed king. Terminator 3 notwithstanding, his reign at the top of the heap was essentially over after this one.
Not to suggest that Eraser was the catalyst for his, but after a string of blockbusters that included Predator, Terminator 2, Total Recall, Twins and True Lies, it did feel like a step backwards, a return to the Raw Deal/Commando days where the film got more mileage from his name above the title than anything resembling an intriguing story or concept (even the uber-flop, Last Action Hero, sported a unique premise).
Nor am I suggesting Eraser is a bad movie, either. 30 years later, it remains an enjoyable thriller, the kind where you check-in your brain at the door and enjoy the mayhem, probably forgetting most of the plot shortly after watching. And for action fare tailor made to suit its star’s attributes, the film remains a hell of a lot better (and more slickly assembled) than anything Van Damme and Seagal were cranking out at the time.
One thing we could never accuse Schwarzenegger of was phoning it in. While he’s not required to try expanding his range here (which he did surprisingly well in stuff like True Lies), the dedication and earnestness he displays in Eraser once again makes him an engaging on-screen presence. Considering U.S. Marshall John Kruger isn’t a particularly well-developed character to begin with, that’s actually a pretty impressive feat.
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| To Arnold's surprise, that wasn't the restroom door. |
On the technical front, Eraser benefits from solid direction by longtime journeyman Charles Russell and well-constructed action scenes. The story is rife with implausibilities and silly plot elements, but the breathless pace glosses over a lot of them…save for the ridiculous impromptu skydiving sequence and the legendarily bad scene involving CGI alligators. Not only are both narratively absurd, the archaic special effects are a not-so-subtle reminder that Eraser is a product of the 90s, especially as presented in 4K.
Speaking of which, this 4K restoration is a big improvement over previous home video releases (even if it does render some of the special effects even goofier than they were 30 years ago), with great detail, black levels and vibrant color. There are also two audio options, an all-new Dolby Atmos track and the original theatrical mix, both of which are excellent. A couple of new bonus featurettes are included, and they're kinda superfluous, but fans who consider Eraser one of Arnie’s classics might appreciate them.
EXTRA KIBBLES
FEATURETTES - Reinventing the Modern Action Hero - The Evolution of Arnold and ‘90s Action Thriller Reimagined are a couple of new retrospective featurettes, each running around eight minutes. Both feature director Charles (Chuck) Russell, actor Vanessa Williams and exec producer Michael Tadross, and were shot at the same time.
DIGITAL COPY
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