The Pacifier (2005)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Cast: Vin Diesel, Lauren Graham, Faith Ford, Brad Garrett
Extras: Commentary Track, Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Featurette
Rating:

In Hollywood it is only a matter of time until even the most hard-ass action stars attempt to show us their ’softer’ side and take on a more family-friendly role. This time it’s Vin Diesel’s turn in Walt Disney’s ’The Pacifier.’ Diesel plays a tough Navy S.E.A.L. named Shane Wolfe, who is assigned to protect the family of a professor that was murdered in a failed rescue operation, in which he was to disclose the location of a particular secret program needed for the military. While Wolfe looks after the disorderly group of children, their mother Julie (Faith Ford) is off to Switzerland with Wolfe’s superior officer to retrieve the safety deposit box of her late husband, which may contain the link to the whereabouts of the missing secret program. Back at the professor’s home Wolfe attempts to teach the children a little manners and respect, military-style, with hilarious results. Added to the antics is the family’s cheeky pet duck, named Gary.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment brings ’The Pacifier’ to DVD in a razor sharp anamorphic widescreen transfer (also available as a separate full-screen edition) that is full of eye-catching detail. The transfer features richly saturated colors and good deep blacks that provide for an overall near-perfect presentation that is also free from any visible compression artifacts.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, available in either English or French, provides a good balanced soundstage that is really showcased during the opening and closing action sequences. Dialogue is always natural sounding and well mixed to balance out the softer children’s voices, with Diesel’s deep and ’husky’ tone.

The extras on the release include a commentary track by writer/director Adam Shankman, a featurette titled ’On Set with Mr. Diesel: Action Hero / Nice Guy’, a selection deleted scenes, blooper reel, TV commercials and previews for other Disney DVD titles.

This somewhat new twist on the tried and true good-guys-foil-bad-guys, Disney-style crowd pleaser, was actually a relatively decent experience. For a simple and cute action/comedy film, that will more than likely appeal to the family-oriented viewer, give Disney’s ’The Pacifier’ a spin!