Eraser: Reborn

Yeah, okay. This was the reboot you didn't see coming, nor didn't ask for to be made.

But I am getting ahead of myself here. Sure, I didn't know that there was a sequel to the 1996 classic Schwarzenegger movie "Eraser" in the making. So stumbling upon it by random luck here in 2022 seemed like my good fortune. So of course I had to sit down and watch it, especially since the original "Eraser" movie was quite enjoyable. Now, had I only known that this was a reboot, then I wouldn't have been so eager to get to see it.

Writer Michael D. Weiss and director John Pogue had a snowballs chance in Hell of making this 2022 action thriller "Eraser: Reborn" into a good movie. I don't enjoy reboots particularly much, so that was working against the movie. And the fact that writer Michael D. Weiss blatantly copied multiple scenes and dialogue scene by scene from the original 1996 movie was just a slap to the face of fans of the Schwarzenegger movie from 1996.

Sure, if you have never seen the 1996 action thriller "Eraser", then I am sure there is enjoyment to be found in "Eraser: Reborn". But if you have seen the 1996 movie, then you should really do yourself a favor and stay well clear of director John Pogue's 2022 reboot. It just simply is atrocious and a mockery of the original movie.

But let's be fair here, then "Eraser: Reborn" actually has a good amount of action, explosions and gunfights to it, and that somehow makes it bearable to sit through this ordeal.

The character gallery in "Eraser: Reborn" was just a watered down copy-paste job of the original 1996 movie, with some alterations done.

I didn't know they made this movie before I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it, and I have to say that the movie will fade into oblivion for me with the same amount of oblivion as it came into existence. This is not a particularly enjoyable movie for fans of the original 1996 movie.

My rating of "Eraser: Reborn" lands on a very generous four out of ten stars.

I enjoyed to original and wanted to enjoy this but at no point during the film did I feel engaged in it.

The film has a TV show vibe about it, they've transformed the hero into a ninja for some reason and the film overall lacks the jokey charm of Schwarzenegger.

Watch the original again, you'll have more fun.

Someone, somewhere read this script and decided to put up the cash to make it. Imagine that?!

The threadbare plot involving a crypto wallet isn't even revealed until halfway through the film. The stakes couldn't be any lower and by then, no one cares. There's no character development. We're not even sure of the relationship between Pollard and Whitlock.

The original is so underrated. Great acting (even from the bit players), high stakes, James Caan as the double crossing mentor, some fantastic stunts and set pieces.

Eraser: Reborn doesn't even come close. The substitute for the crocodile scene is embarrassing. Pollard is revealed to be some sort of Dr. Dolittle who can talk to the animals.

As the film approaches its climax, it becomes even more boring. How did they let that happen?

I've given it 2/10 for the cinematography which is mostly pretty good.

The new take on the Eraser is not in the same league as the original film.

This knock off has a made for streaming platform feel. Everything is "alright', its competently done but hardly an immersive experience, either.

One perhaps for a slow day or evening, just don't expect anything close to the Arnie original.

5/10.

I just rewatched the first Eraser movie to get in the mood for this. And as I imagined, this actually is not a sequel but rather a remake. Or a reboot ... or a well "reborn" as they call the movie. Now if you have seen the original you may ask: do I need to watch this? It depends - if you have the other one fresh in memory and you remember it fondly, it is better to avoid this.

For some reason the german distribution thought this would make a good theatrical release movie. And I guess it is nice to see any movie on the big screen. The main actor is not worse compared to Arnold when it comes to acting - which is not me being mean to any or both of them. He actually has some charisma too - not as much as Arnold has though. The main point is that the bad guy is way better in the original. If you know who I am talking about, you can figure out who it'll be here.

All that aside: there is some good decent action in the movie and I've seen worse movies. The CGI is not good though and it almost completely destroys the enviromental message it is trying to deliver. Especially the last bit (he went for a ride is replacing the caught a train one liner - which you may find funny or not).

Overall there are some tweaks to certain plot points but you will see the changes and can guess them or where the movie is going. The new Vanessa Williams is also really good looking ... and she knows what she wants too ... I also saw that she and the main actor did a tv show together. At least a few episodes I reckon. But they know each other, which I think is something that helped their on screen energy and chemistry. This is a direct to dvd/streaming title - expect to get that.