The Peacemaker

Here's easy short-hand for The Peacemaker: it's a James Bond film without James Bond. The protagonist (George Clooney) is a man of action with contacts around the globe; his partner is a beautiful and determined woman (Nicole Kidman); their adversary is a nationalist from the former Yugoslavia (Marcel Iures) who has gotten hold of a nuclear warhead; their search takes them to at least three continents. Aside from the sexual double entendres and vodka martinis, The Peacemaker comes with almost everything else you could ask for in an espionage thriller: superbly crafted action sequences, a charismatic hero, marvelous production values, the threat of mass destruction, humor and style. But, it's strictly an action machine--with a mechanical script--yet thanks to Mimi Leder's (ER) impressive direction, it's an extremely well-oiled one. A strong optional purchase. (S. Renshaw)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 28, 2010—Paramount, 124 min., R, Blu-ray: $24.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1997's The Peacemaker features a great transfer with a DTS-HD soundtrack. Extras include “Stunt Footage” (6 min.), “From the Cutting Room Floor…” outtakes and bonus footage (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for an uneven thriller.]