THE PEACEMAKER
RATING: *** (out of ****)
Dreamworks SKG / 2:02 / 1997 / R (violence, profanity) Cast: George Clooney; Nicole Kidman; Marcel Iures; Gary Werntz; Holt McCallany; Rene Medvesek; Alexander Baluev; Michael Boatman; Armin Mueller-Stahl Director: Mimi Leder Screenplay: Michael Schiffer
Dreamworks SKG, the high-profile collaborative production team of Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg and David Geffen, gets off on the right filmmaking foot with "The Peacemaker." A big, dumb, loud adventure that combines enough tawdry foreign intrigue for 14 James Bond flicks with sparkling star power and enthralling visuals, "The Peacemaker" isn't a particularly strong genre entry, but even its weaknesses don't hinder it from being an entertaining lark.
The only big names in the cast belong to the two leads: Current Batman George Clooney and ex-Batman flame Nicole Kidman. The latter plays Dr. Julia Kelly, a top presidential aid and the acting head of the White House's Nuclear Smuggling Group. Kelly becomes embroiled in an important investigation surrounding the theft of 10 nuclear missiles from a speeding train by Russian terrorists. When one is "accidentally" set off, an entire Middle Eastern countryside is vaporized.
Enter Clooney's gung-ho Colonel Thomas Devoe, who fast becomes Kelly's unlikely ally as they trot around the globe and try to keep track of the missiles throughout various trade-offs and other shifty dealings. It turns out that a potential buyer (Marcel Iures) has vengeance on his mind and would very much like to use one to annihilate the area surrounding our United Nations building, where a treaty is going to be signed involving the very governments he holds responsible for the murder of his wife and child.
When it devotes its time to action movie dynamics, the movie is a great deal of fun. Exhilarating sequences abound -- there's a spectacular round of bumper cars between Devoe and the bad guys in Vienna's exotic locale, as well as a literal bridge-hanger where he attempts to secure some of the remaining nukes. After the faulty send-offs of "Air Force One" and "G.I. Jane," it's refreshing to see "The Peacemaker" save some of its most riveting moments for its climax -- a suspenseful (if over-the-top) chase through New York City, culminating in one of the most effective explosion-countdowns ever put to film.
However, if "The Peacemaker" needs a pacemaker, it's in the plot area. It's a good thing the heros have engaging demeanors, because Iures' villain is about as interesting as burnt toast. The attempts to develop a sympathetic character out of him are dull and ordinary, and as a result, he's low on personality, a big no-no for this type of film. Also disconcerting is "The Peacemaker"'s rather dull setup of events. Only when Clooney and Kidman enter the frame does the movie ever become involving, making the opening segments something of an uncomfortable sit.
Speaking of the performers, they really carry "The Peacemaker" to memorable lengths. With a great turn here, Clooney proves he can carry a dramatic adventure as well as a horror film ("From Dusk Till Dawn"), a comic book adaptation ("Batman & Robin") or a romantic comedy ("One Fine Day"). He's a very agreeable actor, and even gets numerous chances to crack wise amidst the explosions and mass death. Kidman is also in top form and even gets to play a bigger part in the story than expected -- she's never quite resorted to a damsel in distress. The most beautiful woman working in movies today, Kidman even looks flawless covered in sweat and caked in mud. Also of note is Mimi Leder, whose you-are-there, Emmy-winning directing prowess on "ER" serves her work here well. Maybe filming gurneys and doctors in constant motion is good preparation for an action film.
While "The Peacemaker" fumbles occasionally (more so in its first half), it's always diverting and never unwatchable. Almost every movie has its flaws, and although "The Peacemaker" is never an exception to that rule, it's certainly something special to see a film with enough notable merits to outweigh and overpower its drawbacks.
© 1997 Jamie Peck E-mail: jpeck1@gl.umbc.edu Visit the Reel Deal Online: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~jpeck1/
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