 The Pacifier, which gives Vin Diesel the chance to star in a family comedy, also exposes him to some stinging jibes from the critics. "Perhaps he should rethink his career choices," writes Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News, who calls the movie "an abysmal comedy that should have been strangled in its crib." Lou Lumenick in the New York Post calls Diesel's performance "painfully unfunny." Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune writes that Diesel "strains so hard to be cute and cuddly that he sometimes resembles a bald teddy bear on steroids." Philip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News calls the film "a dud" and observes: "If your idea of humor is watching Mr. Diesel change diapers, you'll be blissful. If you're a grandparent taking your grandchildren to their very first movie, you'll enjoy your grandkids more than the movie. Otherwise, you'll be glancing at your watch and wondering if it's over yet." Melinda Ennis in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is much kinder. "Granted, in terms of acting chops, Diesel is no Dustin Hoffman. As writer Dorothy Parker once famously said of Katharine Hepburn, Diesel 'runs the gamut of emotions from A to B.' But as with Arnold Schwarzenegger's similar Kindergarten Cop, all that is needed is a beefy guy as a foil for cute kids and real actors. And Diesel does beefy well," she remarks. and Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times compliments the filmmakers on their "artistry and skill." |
