Perhaps best known for being the first film from the new Dreamworks Studio, The Peacemaker is rather brave, taking seventeen minutes before anything resembling a well known Hollywood star shows up, or for that matter, the English language. Opening with the hijacking of a locomotive, the picture announces itself as an unpredictable actioner with worldwide implications.
When two carrying nuclear weapons collide in Russia, the detonation attracts the attention of the United States government. When one of the warheads goes missing, nuclear specialist Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) believes a terrorist attack is imminent. As a result, Lt. Col. Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) arrives, suggesting it’s a rogue in the Russian military selling warheads for hundreds of millions of dollars. Having gone to Europe in search of answers, Dr. Kelly, and Lt. Col. Devoe soon discover they’re both right. The clock is ticking, with millions of lives in the balance.
A globe trotting thriller, The Peacemaker is a mix of Washington DC politics with James Bondish action beats. First time director Mimi Leder effectively delivers a popcorn blockbuster without sacrificing story for a PG-13 rating. While she keeps things moving, at just over two hours, The Peacemaker would have benefited from a tighter script. For instance, a lot is made of an “International incident” that takes place around the halfway point of the film. However, once the action happens, the matter is forgotten. Rather than feeling disconnected from the story, I would have liked to see the political fallout from the event. While the film may keep the audience’s attention, there’s nothing memorable about it, making it easily forgettable.
Made early in George Clooney’s film career his portrayal of Lt. Col. Thomas Devoe shows everything that would make him a superstar: charm to spare, a sense of fun, obvious smarts, and the ability to kick some ass when called upon. As the take charge Dr. Kelly, Nicole Kidman plays well off Clooney. The rest of the cast, led by Marcel Iureș and Aleksandr Baluev, do well with the material, but their roles are so full of cliché’s their performances often feel over the top. While an appearance from Armin Mueller-Stahl is welcome—he steals the movie from Clooney and Kidman—his appearance is all to brief.
The kind of big budget action thriller we rarely see anymore, Kino Lorber’s new 4K transfer is a welcome addition to film fans’ physical media collections.
A brand new HDR/Dolby Vision Master by Paramount Pictures from a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent upgrade from the previous Blu-ray release. Details are incredibly sharp throughout, sporting vivid colors. Blacks are deep and inky. A light grain gives the proceedings a filmic appearance. Facial features look realistic. The print is clean; there are no scratches or other anomalies apparent.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of The Peacemaker delivers a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix with dynamic surround activity. Bass is strong throughout. Atmospherics are full, and mixed well. Dialogue is clean, clear and concise.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Journalist Laurence Lerman
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Journalist Laurence Lerman
- Stunt Footage (5:36)
- From the Cutting Room Floor: Deleted Scenes (3:01)
- Theatrical Trailer