The Pacifier

Last updated

The Pacifier
Pacifier poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Adam Shankman
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Peter James
Edited by Christopher Greenbury
Music by John Debney
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution [1]
Release date
  • March 4, 2005 (2005-03-04)
Running time
95 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$56 million [2] [3]
Box office$198.6 million [2]

The Pacifier is a 2005 American family action comedy film directed by Adam Shankman, written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant and stars Vin Diesel. After a failed rescue mission, Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe is assigned as babysitter to the dead man's family.

Contents

The film was released in March 4, 2005 by Walt Disney Pictures. It received generally negative reviews from critics. It grossed $113 million in the United States and a total of $198 million worldwide against a budget of $56 million.

Plot

U.S. Navy SEAL lieutenant Shane Wolfe is assigned to rescue Howard Plummer, a man working on a top-secret government project, from a group of Serbian rebels. Shane and his team successfully get Plummer off an enemy boat. Boarding the helicopter to escape, the team is attacked and Plummer is killed. Shane spends two months in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds to the chest.

At the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Shane's commanding officer, Captain Bill Fawcett, explains that he has been assigned to escort Plummer's widow, Julie, to Zürich, to retrieve the contents of Plummer's safety deposit box. Meanwhile, Shane has been assigned to stay at the Plummer residence in Bethesda, Maryland, to search for the secret project called GHOST and mind the family's five children: Zoe, Seth, Lulu, Peter, and baby Tyler. The kids prove to be difficult to handle, even with the help of nanny Helga, who quits when one of Zoe and Seth's pranks intended for Shane goes wrong, with Helga suffering the prank instead. Shane eventually begins to discover the children's problems and resolve them, gaining their trust after saving them from a pair of armed ninjas (who are actually their next-door-neighbors, the Chuns).

Later, the school's vice principal, Duane Murney, informs Shane that Seth has cut and bleached his hair, has a Nazi armband in his locker, and has skipped a month of wrestling practices. At home, Seth tells Shane he only joined the wrestling team because of his father. After Seth sneaks out of the house, Shane follows and learns that Seth has secretly joined an amateur production of The Sound of Music , playing the role of Rolf. The director quits, and Shane takes charge of the show, takes care of the house, gives Zoe driving lessons, changes baby Tyler’s diaper and teaches Lulu and her fellow Firefly Scouts martial arts to defend themselves against rival scouts.

As Seth quits the wrestling team, Shane challenges Murney to a wrestling match in front of the entire school, which he easily wins despite Murney's show of bluster. The Firefly Girl Scouts use the fighting skills that Shane taught them to fight and tie up the rival boy scouts. Zoe and Shane share stories of their fathers, both of whom had died in similar circumstances, and both hug. They are interrupted by a phone call from Julie, who has figured out the password "My Angel", retrieved a two-prong key from the box, and is on her way home. The kids immediately plan a "Welcome Home" party for her.

That evening, Shane discovers a secret vault underneath the garage, which requires the key Julie just acquired. When Bill and Julie arrive home, he and Shane go to the garage, where Shane says he is rethinking his career. The two ninjas from before arrive and pull off their masks, revealing themselves as the Chuns, the Plummers' North Korean next-door neighbors. Suddenly, Bill overpowers Shane and knocks him out, revealing himself to be a double agent working with the Chuns. After Bill ties up and gags the children, Mr. Chun holds them hostage in the playroom while Bill and Mrs. Chun take Julie down to the vault. They open the door, but a dangerous security system prevents them from proceeding, with one of the traps burning off Mrs. Chun's eyebrows.

The children take down Mr. Chun and wake Shane, who sends them to get help while he goes to the vault to help Julie. Mr. Chun follows them in Bill's car. With Zoe at the wheel, the kids force him to crash. Shane gets past the security system using the dance Howard had used to lull Peter to sleep each night. Julie knocks out Mrs. Chun, and Shane's voice activates the final vault, opening the door which knocks Bill unconscious. By then, the children have lured a large crowd of police-(including the FBI) to the house. Mr. Chun arrives and holds all of them at gunpoint. Shane notices the school principal and his love interest Claire Fletcher (who also happens to be a fellow retired Navy officer) right behind him, having followed the chase when she saw it pass by the school. Shane distracts Mr. Chun with the help of the family pet duck Gary, and Claire knocks him unconscious.

Bill and the Chuns are arrested, and Shane and the Plummers say their goodbyes. At Seth's performance, it is revealed that Shane has retired from the Navy and joined the school staff as the new wrestling coach. Murney, dressed as a nun, also performs in the play, singing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" off-key, and Claire and Shane kiss backstage.

Cast

Soundtrack

No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
1."Everyday Superhero" Steve Harwell, Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil Smash Mouth 3:28
2."Saturday Night"Ozomatli, J. Smith-Freeman Ozomatli 3:59
3."We Will Rock You" Brian May Queen 2:01
4."The Anthem" Benji Madden, Joel Madden, John Feldman Good Charlotte 2:55
5."Skip to My Lou" Traditional Larry Groce and Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus1:21
6."The Power"Benito Benites, John "Virgo" Garrett III, Toni C. Snap! 3:47
7."Sixteen Going on Seventeen" (The Sound of Music) Rodgers and Hammerstein Daniel Truhitte, Charmian Carr 2:10
8."Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (The Sound of Music) Rodgers and Hammerstein Shirley Bassey 2:16
9."The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (Instrumental theme song of the movie with the same name) Ennio Morricone Bruno Nicolai & Unione Musicisti di Roma2:45
Total length:24:42

Reception

Box office

Entertainment Weekly predicted that the film would earn about $17 million and come in second behind John Travolta's Be Cool . [4] It opened at #1 in the box office upon its opening weekend with $30.6 million. [5] By the end of its run, it earned $198.6 million worldwide. [2]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 21% approval rating based on 130 reviews and an average rating of 3.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Vin Diesel parodies his tough guy image for the family audience, but the result is only moderately amusing." [6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 30 out of 100 based on 27 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [8]

Roger Ebert gave the film two stars out of four, writing, "This premise is promising, but somehow the movie never really takes off." [9] Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote: "If [audiences] swallow this odoriferous exercise in calculated career repositioning, they'll swallow anything." [10]

Possible sequel

In December 2015, Vin Diesel said that a sequel was being written. [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mr. Hollands Opus</i> 1995 film by Stephen Herek

Mr. Holland's Opus is a 1995 American drama film directed by Stephen Herek, produced by Ted Field, Robert W. Cort, and Michael Nolin, and written by Patrick Sheane Duncan. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss in the title role of Glenn Holland, a dedicated high-school music teacher who attempts to compose his own music while struggling to balance his job and life with his wife and profoundly deaf son. The cast also includes Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, and Jay Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanny</span> Person employed to take care of other peoples children

A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern nannies, like other domestic workers, may live in or out of the house, depending on their circumstances and those of their employers. Some employment agencies specialize in providing nannies, as there are families that specifically seek them and may make them a part of the household.

Michael Breckenridge Eisner is an American television and film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vin Diesel</span> American actor (born 1967)

Mark Sinclair, known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor and film producer. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for portraying Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise.

<i>Boiler Room</i> (film) 2000 American film

Boiler Room is a 2000 American crime drama film written and directed by Ben Younger, and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Ben Affleck, Nicky Katt, Scott Caan, Tom Everett Scott, Ron Rifkin and Jamie Kennedy. The film was conceived when Younger interviewed for a job at brokerage firm Sterling Foster. "I walked in and immediately realized, 'This is my movie.' I mean, you see these kids and know something is going on."

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is a two-player action toy and game designed by Marvin Glass and Associates and was first manufactured by the Marx toy company in 1964. It features two dueling robot boxers, Red Rocker and Blue Bomber, mechanically manipulated by the players, and the game is won when one player knocks the opposing robot's head up and off the shoulders. The 2000s version of the game by Mattel features physically smaller robots.

<i>Knockaround Guys</i> 2001 film by David Levien, Brian Koppelman

Knockaround Guys is a 2001 action crime thriller film starring Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Seth Green, John Malkovich and Dennis Hopper. It was filmed in locations in the U.S. and Canada including the small town of Delia, Alberta.

<i>Sky High</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Mike Mitchell

Sky High is a 2005 American superhero comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell, and written by Paul Hernandez, and Kim Possible creators Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. The film stars Kelly Preston, Michael Angarano, Danielle Panabaker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kurt Russell. It follows Will Stronghold (Angarano), the son of two superheroes who is enrolled in an airborne high school for teenage superheroes where his powers kick in. He must deal with a growing distance from his old friends, a threat from a mysterious supervillain and get the girl of his dreams.

The Chronicles of Riddick is an American science fiction space Western media franchise created by brothers Ken and Jim Wheat and later continued by writer-director David Twohy. It follows the adventures of antihero character Riddick in the 28th century.

Shane is mainly a masculine given name. It is an anglicized version of the Irish name Séaghan/Séan, which itself is cognate to the name John. Shane comes from the way the name Seán is pronounced in the Ulster dialect of the Irish language, as opposed to Shaun or Shawn.

Fast & Furious, also known as The Fast and the Furious, is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a television series, toys, video games, live shows, and theme park attractions. The films are distributed by Universal Pictures.

<i>XXX: Return of Xander Cage</i> 2017 American thriller film by D. J. Caruso

XXX: Return of Xander Cage is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by D.J. Caruso and written by F. Scott Frazier. The third installment in the XXX film series and a sequel to both XXX (2002) and XXX: State of the Union (2005), it stars Vin Diesel in the title role along with Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Tony Jaa, Nina Dobrev, Toni Collette, Ariadna Gutiérrez, Hermione Corfield, and Samuel L. Jackson.

<i>The Spy Next Door</i> 2010 American film

The Spy Next Door is a 2010 American spy action comedy film directed by Brian Levant, written by Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer and Gregory Poirier, produced by Robert Simonds with music by David Newman. The film stars Jackie Chan, with a supporting cast of Amber Valletta, Magnús Scheving, Madeline Carroll, Will Shadley, Alina Foley, Billy Ray Cyrus and George Lopez.

<i>Clue</i> (miniseries) American TV series or program

Clue is an American five-part mystery television miniseries based on the Parker Brothers board game of the same name, which aired on The Hub from November 14, 2011 to November 17, 2011. The series features a youthful, ensemble cast working together, uncovering clues to unravel a mystery.

<i>The Last Witch Hunter</i> 2015 American fantasy action film by Breck Eisner

The Last Witch Hunter is a 2015 American fantasy action film directed by Breck Eisner and written by Cory Goodman, Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless, and based on the Dungeons & Dragons campaigns of Vin Diesel's Melkor the Witch-Hunter. The film stars Vin Diesel as an immortal witch hunter who must stop a plague from ravaging the entire world.

<i>The Fate of the Furious</i> 2017 film directed by F. Gary Gray

The Fate of the Furious is a 2017 action film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to Furious 7 (2015) and the eighth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, alongside Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell, and Charlize Theron. In the film, Dom has settled down with his wife Letty Ortiz, until cyberterrorist Cipher (Theron) coerces him into working for her and turns him against his team, forcing them to find Dom and take down Cipher.

<i>Superfast!</i> 2015 American film

Superfast! is a 2015 American action comedy film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. The film is a parody of the Fast & Furious film series. It was released in theaters and VOD on April 3, 2015, to coincide with the premiere of Furious 7.

<i>I Kill Giants</i> (film) 2017 American fantasy film

I Kill Giants is a 2017 fantasy drama film directed by Anders Walter with a screenplay by Joe Kelly, based on Kelly and Ken Niimura's graphic novel of the same name. The film stars Madison Wolfe, Imogen Poots, Sydney Wade, Rory Jackson, Art Parkinson, Noel Clarke, Jennifer Ehle and Zoe Saldaña.

<i>Bloodshot</i> (film) 2020 film by David S. F. Wilson

Bloodshot is a 2020 American superhero film based on the Valiant Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be the first installment in a series of films set within a Valiant Comics shared cinematic universe. Directed by David S. F. Wilson from a screenplay by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer, the film stars Vin Diesel in the main role, with Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell, and Guy Pearce in supporting roles. It follows a soldier who was killed in action, only to be brought back to life with superpowers by an organization that wants to use him as a weapon.

<i>Fast X</i> 2023 film by Louis Leterrier

Fast X is a 2023 American action film directed by Louis Leterrier from a screenplay written by Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin, both of whom also co-wrote the story with Zach Dean. It is the sequel to F9 (2021), the tenth main installment, and the eleventh installment overall in the Fast & Furious franchise. It stars Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto alongside an ensemble cast including Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, Jason Statham, Jason Momoa, and Charlize Theron. In the film, Toretto must protect his family from Dante Reyes (Momoa), who seeks revenge for his father's death and the loss of his family's fortunes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Pacifier". American Film Institute . Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Pacifier (2005)". Box Office Mojo . IMDB. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  3. "The Pacifier (2005) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
  4. Dave Karger. "Travolta will trump Diesel at the box office". Ew.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  5. "Weekend Box Office Results for March 4-6, 2005". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  6. "The Pacifier". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  7. "The Pacifier Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  8. "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  9. Ebert, Roger (March 3, 2005). "'Pacifier' lacks comedic muscle". Chicago Sun-Times .
  10. McCarthy, Todd (2 March 2005). "The Pacifier". Variety .
  11. Burlingame, Russ (2015-12-16). "Vin Diesel Reveals The Pacifier Sequel Is Being Written". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 11 September 2021.