Eraser: Reborn

Pretty much a remake of the Arnold Schwarzenegger one. 100% predictable. The original wasn't the best but I recommend it over this nonsense ten times out of ten.

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.

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.

As far as B films go, I'll say this is one of the better ones out there. It was well acted, especially an outstanding and convincing performance by Jacky Lai. The story was a little dragged out and felt longer than the 102 min runtime from all the filler with little substance. The location and sets were excellent and the score surprisingly fitting for a B film. Cinematography was great, and the action choreography was decent. It's a fun one time watch, especially if you're a fan of the genre.