Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Copycat thriller mixes violence, father/daughter bonding.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Erased
What's the Story?
Ben Logan (Aaron Eckhart) lives in Brussels with his estranged teen daughter, Amy (Liana Liberato), and works as a security expert. After making a curious discovery at work, he wakes up to find that his entire identity has been erased. His office is gone, his bank account is gone, his BlackBerry has been deleted, etc. He deduces that he and Amy were supposed to have been killed but survived due to an accident. Now, as he races around the city to find out what happened, Amy starts to notice that there's more to her father than meets the eye; he seems to have been trained for this kind of thing. Events come to a head when the bad guys kidnap Amy, forcing Ben into a final, explosive showdown.
Is It Any Good?
German-born director Philipp Stolzl makes his English-language debut with this utterly routine thriller. ERASED (formerly known as The Expatriate) lazily borrows plot twists and ideas from many other recent thrillers, especially those starring Liam Neeson. Though Stolzl's work may be competent, his fight and chase sequences are numbingly familiar and barely even quicken the pulse.
The characters are perhaps even worse. Eckhart's Ben becomes a horribly unsympathetic dad, completely lacking in parenting instincts. He has somehow forgotten his daughter's deadly peanut allergy, and even when wounded in a fight, he dresses his own wounds before tending to hers. The movie attempts to make Liberato into a tough teen, but the attempt feels tired. And poor Olga Kurylenko has nothing to do but speak tensely into telephones and stalk around in various hallways. Blessed with a perfect title, Erased will quickly disappear from the memory.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Erased's violence. Does it seem too over the top? Is there too much violence for the teen character to be exposed to? How does her involvement affect the impact of the violence on viewers?
What's the relationship between the father and daughter like? How does it improve? Does it feel like they'll continue to grow closer?
Does it seem possible, or likely, that a person's entire identity could be erased? What kinds of questions does that raise about your digital footprint?
What would you do if you discovered your father was an ex-CIA man with deadly training? Is he a good role model?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 17, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2013
- Cast : Aaron Eckhart , Liana Liberato , Olga Kurylenko
- Director : Philipp Stolzl
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Radius TWC , Weinstein Co.
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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