U.S Marshal Mason Pollard is highly skilled when it comes to the witness protection game. He’s also known for successfully “erasing” many witnesses who must live in secrecy to testify. The film begins with Mason conducting a successful rescue, and we see first-hand how the term erased is used to save lives and bring the bad guys to justice. But, while his most recent mission ended with great outcomes, there’s no rest for our leading hero Mason.
Soon, Mason is called into action to protect and erase a woman named Rina Kimura. Rina is the wife of a powerful crime boss, and she has decided to give witness for the FBI, gathering evidence on their behalf. Rina’s attempts only bring greater danger and attention to her, including from a secret and powerful group known as The Syndicate. Now Mason must put his skills and training to good use to protect Rina from various attackers, including traitors within Mason’s organisation.
Serving as a sequel/reboot from Eraser (1996), which originally featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eraser: Reborn is a whole new film with no major connections to Eraser (1996) other than the concept of a Marshal working to protect and, again, Erase. Let’s tackle some of the positives. Firstly I generally like the look of this film, including aspects such as costumes for both the good and bad guys. Locations are fun, and moments of action such as large explosions certainly pack a surprising punch through the home theatre system.
Funnily enough, if you’ve seen the original film and know it well, you might be in for a big surprise as this new instalment reenacts many lines of dialogue and scenes, even including wild animals who like to kill. Yes- this is a poor carbon copy of the first film. Big reveals or twists are obvious, and the kills during action sequences are predictable before they even occur. The animals mentioned above, including a hippo and a large rhino, were an absolute disaster as their looks are obviously CGI, and the animation appears outdated. All these elements make Eraser: Reborn feel fairly lazy and highly cheesy, and it struggles to deliver anything new.
As for the characters, I must confess that I found it challenging to applaud and adore our leading heroes. They are emotionless, lack romantic chemistry and give lines of dialogue that feel like they’re being exchanged among a pair of teenagers. The best and most entertaining character is the traitorous villain who attacks and kills with a carefree attitude, also having some humorous moments.
Overall, suppose you are seeking a cheap carbon copy of the original film, Eraser, which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger. In that case, sure, this has some brainless entertainment, fun locations, creative costumes, and a few solid explosions to rattle a home theatre. But sadly, as an instalment, there is no connection to the original film other than the concept. Eraser Reborn attempts to copy many areas of the original, leaving it struggling to deliver new concepts that feel fresh. The leads are unbelievable in their chemistry, and the CGI wild animals feel highly outdated. I wouldn’t say I like the term ‘cash grab’, but it’s certainly on my mind after seeing this film.
4.1/10
2nd July 2022
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
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