Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, language in unnecessary "sequel."
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Eraser: Reborn
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In ERASER: REBORN, U.S. Marshall Mason "Mace" Pollard (Dominic Sherwood) works as an "eraser." That is, he helps to protect witnesses in high-profile arrests by faking the deaths of those witnesses until it's time for them to testify. He gets more than he bargained for when assigned to "erase" Rina (Jacky Lai), who has agreed to turn against her sleazy crime boss husband and the crime syndicate he rules. Mason helps Rina escape her husband, fakes her death, and helps her leave Los Angeles to start a new life and identity in Cape Town, South Africa. Shortly after arriving in Cape Town, Mason thinks he's being joined by his colleague and close friend Paul Whitlock (McKinley Belcher III), but soon discovers that things aren't as they seem. Mason must find a way to save Rina (and himself) before it's too late.
Is It Any Good?
This is a low-budget sequel/"reboot" marred by corny dialogue and hilariously bad CGI. Eraser: Reborn, in spite of whatever tenuous connections it may have to the '90s blockbuster action movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, is pretty much just a formulaic action movie with the expected plot twists and excessive violence. The dialogue is filled with forced and idiotic catchphrases ("You've been erased") and the kinds of cliches from both the good and the bad guys that comes across as unintentionally funny and bombastic in '90s action movies, but now comes across as sad and empty.
The best that can be said about this movie is that most of it is set in South Africa, and they do try to make the most of the location. Not just as backdrops for chase scenes or fight scenes, but to try and reveal something of the culture. It mostly works, but it's likely to be forgotten by a crucial scene involving a CGI rhinoceros that makes those early attempts at CGI in '90s movies look timeless rather than hilariously outdated. If you "erase" all your critical faculties and innate skepticism, there's a chance you'll enjoy the action sequences, but really, that's asking way too much of the viewer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Eraser: Reborn. Was it necessary for the story, or did it seem excessive? Why?
This movie is technically a "reboot" sequel to the action movie Eraser, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Why do you think Hollywood continues to make "sequels" of older, more successful movies, even if the sequels don't have anyone from the original cast and are only tangentially related to the first movie?
How does the movie attempt to show aspects of South African culture -- language, food, history?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 7, 2022
- Cast : Dominic Sherwood , Jacky Lai , McKinley Belcher III
- Director : John Pogue
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Warner Home Video
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Violence throughout and language.
- Last updated : September 30, 2022
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