"THE PACIFIER"
(2005) (Vin Diesel, Brittany Snow) (PG)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
None	Mild	Extreme	*Mild	Heavy
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Heavy	Minor	Moderate	None	Mild
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	None	*Moderate	Heavy	Heavy

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QUICK TAKE:

Comedy: A Navy SEAL is assigned to protect a family of kids while trying to keep their late father's top-secret government software program from falling into enemy hands.

PLOT:

Lt. Shane Wolfe (VIN DIESEL) is a Navy SEAL who's been trained to deal with most any situation he might encounter while serving his country. That includes rescuing Howard Plummer (TATE DONOVAN), a kidnapped government scientist who's developed a satellite program that could prevent any country from launching their nuclear weapons. Yet, when Shane lets down his guard by allowing Howard to call home while still in hostile environs, the scientist is assassinated and Shane is wounded.

Two months later, Shane is ready to return to his normal SEAL duties, but Capt. Bill Fawcett (CHRIS POTTER) informs him of a new mission. While he accompanies Howard's widow, Julie (FAITH FORD), overseas to open a safe-deposit box that may contain the missing satellite program, Shane is to protect her five kids and see if the program might be hidden somewhere inside the house. Considering his background and the fact that the family's nanny, Helga (CAROL KANE), is still there, Shane figures this will be an easy assignment.

Yet, his training hasn't prepared him for the teenage attitudes of Julie's oldest kids, Zoe (BRITTANY SNOW) and Seth (MAX THIERIOT), dealing with their younger siblings, Lulu (MORGAN YORK) and Peter (KEEGAN & LOGAN HOOVER), or the prospect of changing Baby Tyler's (BO AND LUKE VINK) diaper. The kids balk at his strict rules, Helga eventually leaves, and the neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Chun (DENIS AKIYAMA and MUNG-LING TSUI) don't approve of the loud and obtrusive security devices he's installed at the house.

Things aren't any better at school. While Principal Claire Fletcher (LAUREN GRAHAM) allows him to be there to protect the kids, Vice Principal Murney (BRAD GARRETT) -- who actively dislikes Seth, particularly when he quits the wrestling team -- is another matter. As he tries to deal with him and come to some sort of agreeable arrangement with the kids, Shane tries to find the missing satellite program, all while dealing with a pair of masked ninjas who are looking for the same.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Since it's aimed at them, it's a good bet some will.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG

For action violence, language and rude humor.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

VIN DIESEL plays a Navy SEAL who initially finds himself in over his head when he's assigned to protect Julie's rambunctious and moody kids. He eventually improvises while keeping them under safe watch, all while searching for the hidden satellite program and fighting off the invasion of two masked ninjas. He uses some minor profanity and apparently kills some villains in the line of duty.

LAUREN GRAHAM plays the kids' high school principal who finds herself falling for Shane.

FAITH FORD plays the kids' recently widowed mother who doesn't show much grief while traveling overseas and trying to figure out the password to get into her late husband's safe-deposit box.

BRITTANY SNOW plays her oldest child, a moody teenager who isn't happy with Shane's restrictive rules and eventually admits that she misses her dad.

MAX THIERIOT plays her younger teenage brother, who similarly isn't pleased with Shane's presence or how Vice Principal Murney treats him at school.

CHRIS POTTER plays Shane's superior officer who assigns him to protect the kids while he accompanies Julie on their safe-deposit box mission.

CAROL KANE plays the family's nanny who quickly has enough of Shane and leaves.

BRAD GARRETT plays the school's conceited vice-principal and wrestling coach who's full of himself and doesn't like Seth.

MORGAN YORK plays Zoe's younger sister, a firefly who gets Shane's assistance in dealing with some troublesome boy scouts.

KEEGAN & LOGAN HOOVER plays her rambunctious, younger brother.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated comedy. Profanity consists of a number of mild expletives (and benign slang terms for breasts), while various colorful phrases are also uttered. Some young girls see a muscular Navy SEAL in just a towel, while a boy's bare butt is briefly seen as is a male toddler's genitals when his diaper is changed. Various instances of related crude humor are present (including a vomit scene and a man being covered in visible human waste from a sewer), as is related dialogue.

Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including villains who kill several people just off-screen and attempt to kill others. All sorts of martial arts style and regular fighting is present (played in an action context), while some people are presumably wounded or killed when their helicopter is blown from the sky and during other such military style violence.

Some of those scenes and other moments may be intense or suspenseful for some younger viewers, while a family must deal with their father's assassination two months earlier (although there's not much grief on display). All sorts of potentially imitative behavior is present, as are various instances of slapstick style material (pratfalls, what's supposed to be funny struggling, etc.).

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

None.

BLOOD/GORE

Baby Tyler does some projectile vomiting onto Helga's clothed chest while she holds him.

Peter farts.

Helga tells Shane to light a match the next time he uses the bathroom.

Shane's hand lands in an open, dirty diaper.

Baby Tyler farts.

Shane changes Baby Tyler's diaper with industrial tools and reacts to the smell, but we don't see anything.

Shane tells the kids to stay away from the cheese since it will "back you up for months."

A comment is made about Shane having "doo-doo duty."

Shane jumps into a sewer, thinking one of the kids is under the filthy water (it's really just their tracking bracelet that's there). When he emerges, he's covered in what's presumably human waste, and when he returns home, we see more of it on him and the others react to the foul smell.

Shane dives into a kid-attraction filled with plastic balls to retrieve Peter's pants, but comes up with his dirty diaper instead.

The male ninja chases after the family van, with Seth throwing what may have been a used diaper onto the windshield.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

We hear that Prof. Plummer has been kidnapped by Serbian rebels. He's later killed by them.

Zoe and Seth initially have bad attitudes toward Shane, not being grateful that he's protecting them.

Lulu repeats what Shane says to irritate him.

Seth is disrespectful to Murney, calling him "Sasquatch" and "Woolly Mammoth." In turn, Murney has a bad attitude toward Seth, including calling him "Creeper."

Some older kids briefly push Seth around at school.

Some boy scouts are mean to Lulu and her firefly friends. They dump their boxed cookies on the ground and stomp on them.

Zoe tells Shane, "We hate you."

The school's theater director is a prima donna and abruptly quits when upset with his performers.

Murney implies that Seth is gay or at least effeminate for wanting to be in theater plays rather than on the wrestling team by calling him "twinkle toes" and "prancer." He also says such a decision is what happens when there's no man in the house (meaning a father).

Some viewers may not like the film's only Asian characters being the villains.

A presumed good guy turns sides and works for the foreign enemy.

The ninjas have bad attitudes for trying to harm or kill Shane while trying to steal government secrets.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to very young viewers, but probably not to older kids.

We hear that Prof. Plummer has been kidnapped by Serbian rebels.

There's talk of Peter being afraid of a ghost, but that turns out to be a code name for the missing satellite program.

While prepping the house for security, Shane hears gunfire and races inside, only to find that it's coming from a video game.

Shane spots a guy scaling the house's exterior wall. He races up, grabs the guy and both fall to the ground (it turns out to be Zoe's boyfriend).

Shane goes into emergency mode when one of the tracking bracelets he put on the kids rapidly heads down the street. He drives fast and swerves through traffic while following the signal.

We see that the villains have bound and gagged the kids.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Handgun/Machine guns/Knife/Ninja tools/Explosives: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.

While prepping the house for security, Shane hears gunfire and races inside, only to find that it's coming from a video game.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Get your butt down here," "Evil little puke machine" (in subtitles), "You spaz," "Yo, fool," "Personal bubble invasion," "Bite me," "You're burning daylight," "You're insane," "Sasquatch," "Woolly mammoth," "Creeper," "You heard the lady" (Murney about Shane), "Doo-doo duty," "Dork," "Skeever," "Skanky," "And they say war is hell," "A whole hell of a lot," "Twinkle toes," "Prancer," "Punk," "You mess with the bull, you get the horns," "Getting his butt kicked," "The nipple crippler" (grabbing a man by the clothed nipple and twisting) and "Eat it, you jerk."

Some kids may want to imitate the action, stunts and fighting that occurs in the film.

We see young Peter standing in the filled aquarium. He then throws some cereal at Shane.

Shane uses a loud whistle to wake up the kids in the morning.

To get Seth out of bed in the morning, Shane lifts the mattress or entire bed and dumps the teen to the floor.

Lulu repeats what Shane says to irritate him.

Seth and Zoe pour cooking oil on the top of the steps, hoping that Shane will slip on it. Instead, Helga does and then takes a bad tumble down the steps (in a slapstick fashion, and is okay).

Shane dunks Baby Tyler's bottom (not seen) into the toilet to clean him off after changing his diaper.

Peter ends up pulling the tablecloth off a table (with things on it) as he walks away.

Some boy scouts are mean to Lulu and her firefly friends. They dump their boxed cookies on the ground and stomp on them.

We see slices of bologna stuck on a ceiling at a party.

We see that Seth has cut and dyed his hair blonde. Murney then shows that he found a Nazi armband in his locker. Seth later meets other kids wearing similar armbands, and we're led to believe they're neo-Nazis, but it's really just for a school play of "The Sound of Music."

Shane does a "Panda dance" (various exaggerated moves) for Peter (what his dad did to make him go to sleep).

Some miscellaneous students wear midriff-revealing tops.

Shane stuffs Murney's hand into Murney's mouth, calling it "the pacifier."

Using tactics taught to her by Shane, Lulu strong-arms various boy scouts who previously harassed her and her friends. We then see store surveillance footage of her and her friends kicking the boys on the ground.

JUMP SCENES

The male ninja's arm smashes through a door.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A moderate amount of suspenseful and an equal amount of action music plays in various scenes.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 4 slang terms for breasts ("boobs"), 3 hells, 5 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "God," "Oh dear God" and "Swear to God."

SEX/NUDITY

Lulu spots Shane's muscular pecs and refers to them as "boobs." She wonders why his are so big and then wonders if hers will be as big when she grows up.

Zoe shows some cleavage.

We see Shane in just a towel in the kitchen, as do Lulu and her young firefly friends. Lulu then tells her friends that she told them that he had "boobs."

Shane pulls Peter out of a kid-attraction filled with plastic balls, but the young boy's pants don't come with him. Shane then stands there holding him, and we see the boy's bare butt.

We see Zoe sitting on the lap of a guy at a party. He then tosses her off to run away when Shane crashes the party.

Having found a Nazi armband in Seth's locker (for what turns out to be a school play), Murney says if it had been a girlie magazine, that would have been okay, but the band is unacceptable.

We briefly see Baby Tyler's penis as Shane changes his diaper.

SMOKING

None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

Julie and her kids must deal with the death of her husband/their father, but (two months after the fact), there isn't much grief on display until Zoe later breaks down to Shane about missing her dad.

Shane states that his mom left when he was little, and that he was shipped off to military school when he was eight where he then got a letter that his dad was dead. Zoe then tells Shane that she does miss her dad.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Navy SEALs.

Dealing with parental deaths.

Nuclear bombs (the missing program prevents a country from launching theirs).

Dealing with bullies.

Dealing with teachers/administrators who don't seem to like you.

We see that Seth has cut and dyed his hair blonde. Murney then shows that he found a Nazi armband in his locker. Seth later meets other kids wearing similar armbands, and we're led to believe they're neo-Nazis, but it's really just for a school play of "The Sound of Music."

Murney implies that Seth is gay or at least effeminate for wanting to be in theater plays rather than on the wrestling team by calling him "twinkle toes" and "prancer." He also says such a decision is what happens when there's no man in the house (meaning a father).

Some viewers may not like the film's only Asian characters being the villains.

VIOLENCE

Shane uses an electrified harpoon to short out a boat's electronics. He then throws several explosives that explode on the boat and then shoots down a helicopter with another explosive (presumably killing those onboard). He and other seals briefly fight the villains on the boat with some punching and struggling. Some jet skis then wipe out (dumping the riders into the water), and others crash and explode (presumably wounding or killing the riders).

Shane discovers his helicopter pilot is unconscious or dead (with the chopper on the ground). Shane then steps out and is hit (by an unseen bullet), while we learn that Prof. Plummer was killed.

The family duck bites Shane's ear.

Shane spots a guy scaling the house's exterior wall. He races up, grabs the guy and both fall to the ground (it turns out to be Zoe's boyfriend).

Zoe tries to kick Shane in the crotch, but he grabs her foot, twists it around and forces her back to her room.

To get Seth out of bed in the morning, Shane lifts the mattress or entire bed and dumps the teen to the floor.

Shane kicks open Seth's door, splintering it (when he thinks the teen is ignoring him and won't answer the door).

Seth and Zoe pour cooking oil on the top of the steps, hoping that Shane will slip on it. Instead, Helga does and then takes a bad tumble down the steps (in a slapstick fashion, and is okay).

Trying to keep Helga from leaving, Shane grabs her suitcase and the two get into a tug of war with it. It then rips and she falls hard to the floor. Moments later, she jumps on his back and bites his shoulder.

Helga elbows Shane.

Some older kids briefly push Seth around at school.

Shane drives through a fence while desperately trying to find one of the kids.

We see Zoe sitting on the lap of a guy at a party. He then tosses her off to run away when Shane crashes the party.

Two ninjas crash through a window in the house, with Shane flipping one and then avoiding the martial arts attacks of the other, with all sorts of thrown and blocked punches and kicks. He then uses a broom to fend off their attacks with martial arts poles and throws baby powder in their faces before they knock him back through a door. He then fends off more attacks with a racket, and there's more hitting and flipping, ending with one ninja jumping through a closed window to escape (along with the other one).

We hear the sound of Zoe accidentally crashing her drivers ed car after a bee gets in there.

Having had enough of Murney and his macho posturing, Shane agrees to wrestle him after school. Shane then grabs Murney by the wrist, inflicting pain on him then and when he spins his arm around behind him (accompanied by various arm cracking sounds). He then spins him to the mat, with Murney grabbing Shane's clothed nipple. Shane then slams Murney to the mat.

Using tactics taught to her by Shane, Lulu strong-arms various boy scouts who previously harassed her and her friends. We then see store surveillance footage of her and her friends kicking the boys on the ground.

The ninjas hold guns on Shane and Capt. Fawcett. Shane disarms them, but a villain then hits him over the head, knocking him out.

A booby-trapped hallway sends flames out from the wall, scorching a female ninja's eyebrows off her face (played for laughs).

We see that the villains have bound and gagged the kids.

Shane trips the male ninja, Seth kicks the villain, and Lulu then kicks the male ninja in the crotch.

The male ninja's arm smashes through a door, with Seth shooting a fire extinguisher into his face and then hitting him there with the extinguisher itself.

The male ninja chases after the family van, with some brief bumping before the male ninja aims his gun at the van, with Seth throwing what may have been a used diaper onto the windshield. That causes the male ninja to drive and crash through a showroom.

A villain holds a gun on Julie.

Trying to proceed through a booby-trapped hallway, Shane's foot is shocked when he steps on a panel. He then avoids other traps, fiery blasts, spikes and more as he makes his way to the end.

A villain holds his gun on Shane. Shane then trips him, the two struggle, and the villain elbows Shane who then flips him to the floor. The female ninja jumps on Shane's back and the villain tries to kick Shane, but gets her in the head instead. The villain then holds his gun on Shane again, but a small heavy door hits the villain on the head, knocking him out. Julie then hits the female ninja, knocking her out.

Various police officers hold their guns on Shane and the Plummer family, until the male ninja shows up and holds his automatic weapon on everyone there. The family duck then bites the male ninja in the clothed crotch, followed by Claire jumping down on him, knocking him down, bending his arm and then pressing her foot down on the back of his neck.

Reviewed February 26, 2005 / Posted March 4, 2005

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