The Peacemaker (1997) User Reviews

Simple but effective action movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 25 December 2004]

There is nothing in "The Peacemaker" that is new or something we haven't seen done before in an action movie. Yet the movie serves its purpose; to bring some mindless entertainment with some nicely done action.

Nicole Kidman in a main part of an action movie? Yes, Nicole Kidman in the main part of an action movie and who would have ever known, she is actually believable in her part but her acting is just a bit too standard and boring but yet like I said before, her characters remains believable. Thumbs up for that! But the best roles are played by George Clooney and Armin Mueller-Stahl, who is always great in a movie.

The movie's opening is really a memorable one and is one of the very best action movie openings I have ever seen along with "The Rock", which was made one year earlier. After that the movie looses some of it's power and pace and we begin losing interest until the next action sequence occurs. Yes, it truly are the action sequences that are the highlights of the movie and make this movie a watchable one.

The visual style of the movie is also what makes this movie above average. The cinematography by Dietrich Lohmann gives the movie a cool action movie feeling. Dietrich Lohmann unfortunately died not much later during or shortly after completing the movie "Deep Impact".

The music by Hans Zimmer is most excellent. Zimmer and co really set up some new standards for action movie soundtracks in the nineties.

Standard action movie but well executed!

7/10

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International intrigue and noisy action about nuclear smuggling starred by an exceptional couple

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 27 December 2010]

A nuclear blow up in deepest Russia turns out to be a terrorist act that triggers rapid response by USA government. The Pentagon to avoid the uranium robbers from utilizing to wreak atomic war against the U.S.A . assigns the dangerous mission to two high officers ( attractive Nicole Kidman and impulsive George Clooney) . The expert field agent Clooney and spunky but unexperienced Kidman must solve the risked complications on the East pursuing nasties suspected of smuggling soviet nuclear arms into nations less civilised and stable . They get involved in the tangled chase of the Servian terrorists that run across countries until Iran . Meanwhile, they go to Vienna , there are are helped by a good Russian general (Armin Mueller Stahl) . The final terror arises when the terrorist (Marcel Iures as meek musician professor in the film's best acting ) behind it all is looking vengeance and goes to N.Y where happens a moving ending in the midst of a confusing crowd.

This exciting movie contains suspense , thrills, twists and turns , rattling action, and implacable intrigue . The yarn is interesting though based on fictitious deeds and barely credible tale . There are suspense, thriller and action, and the scenario is varied and spectacular . The flick is fast moving and interesting , as a highlight after another piles up . Extraordinary nail-biting scenes, specially when there happens the helicopter attacks on some amazing images and final climax in New York streets . George Clooney's performance as hard-boiled colonel is excellent, he hands perfectly the role ; cocky Clooney along with elegant Nicole Kidman form a perfect couple as troubleshooter team dispatched to trace terrorists . Stirring and moving score fitting perfectly to action by today prestigious Hans Zimmer . Colorful and adequate cinematography by Dietrich Lohmann . The motion picture is well directed by Mimi Leder in his first movie . She's a good filmmaker , usually for TV (¨ER¨ played by Goran Visnjic who appears as secondary in The peacemakers) and occasionally for cinema (Deep impact , The Code). Rating : above average . Well worth watching .

Decent

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 23 December 2015]

A US Army colonel (George Clooney) and a civilian woman (Nicole Kidman) supervising him must track down stolen Russian nuclear weapons before they are used by terrorists.

My biggest problem with this film is that it seemed to me to be miscast. George Clooney is pretty good, and he plays the smarmy role he is great at doing (the modern day Cary Grant). Nicole Kidman seems off, though. The role never seems to fit her, and there never seems to be a clear understanding of who she is: bumbling, nervous librarian? Or assertive world-class diplomat? Not surprisingly, the movie has sort of faded into obscurity, and will probably continue to do so as time goes on.

Standard story – but good tension, good action scenes and a great performance by Clooney make it good.

[bob the moo · 8 May 2002]

When nuclear warheads get stolen during decommissioning in Russia, American military agents Thomas Devoe and Julia Kelly start to try and track their movements before they get into the wrong hands. Julia's intelligence background and Thomas' more direct approach don't gel too well, but they must recover the weapons before they are used in a terrorist strike against the US.

This starts well – with the detonation of a nuke in rural Russia, and indeed it goes on quite well from there. The story is the basic 'terrorist with stolen nuke' story but it has sufficient ability to rise above the norm to be quite enjoyable. The odd-couple of Devoe and Kelly isn't made too much of and it avoids that pitfall. The action scenes are handled well and, though lacking in flair, they do contain plenty of tension and excitement.

The cast really help – in particular Clooney. Clooney takes what could have been just a one dimensional tough military role and adds layers to it. His violence is just beneath the surface and it shows in his face and eyes. At times he does what is expected of him – but for the most he lifts the role and the film. Kidman also does well – at times she is a screaming side-kick, but she also has a bit of depth there too. The support cast never really get beyond ethnic stereotype – only Armin Mueller-Stahl has a good role. There are some interesting roles given to now famous people – Boatman (Carter in Spin City) and, to complete the ER coonnection between star and director, Goran Visnijc in a tiny role.

Overall this is a standard story. But a top-class Clooney and plenty of good, tense action scenes make this much better than the average stolen bomb flick.

How do you stop a terrorist who has no demands?

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 27 June 2004]

A distraught Bosnian piano teacher named Dusan Gavric (Marcel Iures), whose wife and daughter had been shot down before his eyes by Bosnian Muslim snipers in war-divided Sarajevo, intends to ignite a stolen nuclear bomb around the U.N. building in New York in revenge for that atrocity…

Nuclear weapons specialist Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) and US Special Forces Colonel Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) try to stop the psycho...

Clooney, convinced that United States educated half the world's terrorists, plays a talented soldier who takes great liberties to get what he wants including heavy bribes and savage beatings… With that cool, suave and dashing look that makes women swoon, Clooney demonstrates great sense of humor with his performance, and looks pleasantly cold as hell during high action sequences… His unexpected reactions get on Kidman's nerves so easily…

Kidman looks lovely as the anguished scientist who wants to save the world, struggling tightly against her self-doubt …

Mimi Leder definitely proves that she's a commanding presence behind the camera… She shows how to move more effectively the camera creating tension throughout the hijacking of the warheads, Vienna's exciting car chase, the flight of the three US Air Force helicopters ordered to return to Turkish airspace, the truckload of the bad guys hanging over a cliff, and the tracking of the missing warhead on Manhattan's crowded streets…

The music is great... It follows the action well and elevates the dramatic suspense throughout the show...

Terrorist are human...but still evil as Hell.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 29 May 2004]

This is an action packed apocalyptic thriller from director Mimi Leder. A renegade Russian diverts nuclear warheads, scheduled for dismantling, into the hands of a Bosnian diplomat still blaming the West for the death of his wife and daughter. A well planned train wreck is used to cover up the diabolical theft of the weapons. A race ensues to find one last missing nuke. A crack special forces Colonel(George Clooney)and a U.S. nuke expert(Nicole Kidman)track down the lone missing warhead targeted for the United Nations.

A very impressive opening showing the weapon laden train winding through southern mountains of the former Soviet Union. Plenty of action and violence. The cock-sure Clooney does his own stunts and incorporates his own brand of humor. You can't help but like him in this role. Miss Kidman is not only beautiful, but appears smart as a whip. There seems to be a very good working chemistry between the two. This breathless thriller also stars: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Marcel Lures, Alexander Strobele and Michael Boatman.

Marcel Iures

[Mickey Knox · 7/10 · 26 December 2000]

The best thing about this movie is Marcel Iures, the romanian that plays the bad guy. Actually he is the only reason i watched this film, he is romanian, just like me, and this is his first important role in Hollywood.

And he manages to play superbly, but that's usual for a fabulous actor like he is. After a long career in Romania, Iures started in Hollywood with minor roles in movies like Interview with The Vampire. This is his most important Hollywood role so far, and he does it so well! After this film he came back home and acted in a few theaters and impressed everybody playing absolutely brilliant the role of Richard the Third from the Shakespearean play.

Enough about Iures - the movie, Peacemaker, is a good action film, with all the ingredients for a success. Still it lacks many things, but it's a good watch if you enjoy action films. Plus Iures. Vote: 7 out of 10.

Above average!

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 8 April 2023]

Above average! The Peacemaker well compared to todays C G I, woke scripts, messages, and disjointed characters The Peacemaker ages well. Interesting characters, but a run of the mill James Bond story lines. Similar with the renegade Russian general, nuclear weapons, and a count down story; predicable but well made. Solid acting by Clooney, and Kidman, good sets, good supporting acting, and good directing. Well I remember watching The Peacemaker with my wife on a date night, and forgot about the film years latter. Reason I did is there nothing special here, but still a good movie. Years ago, when V H S was still around, Monica asked do you want me to buy it off Columbia house and I said nah; rather watch it on late night. 7 stars solid but run of the mill.

The Cheesemaker

[dunmore_ego · 3/10 · 18 December 2005]

Infuriatingly predictable and wholly uninvolving, "The Peacemaker" finds George Clooney in classic head-waggling mode (as Army Intelligence Officer Devoe – hey! I bought that record of his, "Whip It!") and Nicole Kidman in severe-skirted secretary mode (as White House Liaison, Julia Kelly), saving White America from nuke-thieving Russkies who intend to blow up Manhattan.

In movies of this ilk, the American Military is omniscient, portrayed as so technologically advanced they can pinpoint license plate numbers half a world away; relishing showing off their spy-satellite capabilities and infiltration devices - yet never putting that technology to use in deterring the theft of nuclear weapons in the first place. They seemingly only use these gadgets to sell your confidential details to lowlife corporate bidders, to conveniently lose your records when you report an identity fraud and to send you garbage-loads of junk mail whenever you purchase a new electronic appliance with your credit card – instead of doing something important like CAPTURING OSAMA BIN LADEN. As Devoe says, "Toil Is Stupid."

Kidman is the token "sexy woman in power", incessantly battling to be taken seriously in a Man's World – until man-toy Clooney turns up and cows her with his head-waggling and tacit indications that she might soon be allowed to touch People's Sexiest Man Alive 1997.

But they get too busy to get busy, barking orders at everyone within modeling distance, as is the manner of Nuclear Threat movies: walking through office hallways hastily (glass doors and staircases, add extra points), handing off reports, getting reports handed to them, hectoring underlings to get "the President" or "the head of That Department" on the phone, reeling off statistics and information to each other, extras with one line updating them on the crisis situation (oh joy! – one step closer to a SAG card!) – doesn't anyone in the star's walking trajectory ever have something that they should actually be doing at the time they're lining the star's route being barked at?

Meanwhile, something of world-shaking import is happening – but in Nuclear Threat movies I can never quite scare up the interest to find out what. Ultimately, the Russian plot to blow up the United States grinds to a standstill through the efforts of the poreless Kelly (whose bra is always tantalizingly translucently apparent through her secretariat blouse) and the head-waggling of Devoe (who is air-lifted onto a truck which hangs off a bridge in classic Vehicle-Hanging-Off-Bridge position, leaving him just the right amount of time to get off before it falls).

Flowerpot hats off to Devoe, as all the stolen nukes are accounted for – but one! So begins the final idiot act of the movie – congruent with the final idiot act of a desperate terrorist (played by a non-threatening, apathetic Marcel Iures), who has the opportunity to detonate the nuclear device in his backpack at any time – keeping in mind that a bomb that powerful would do the same amount of damage no matter where it blows – yet opts to mill aimlessly through New York streets, presenting himself as a target for military rooftop snipers. Despite Devoe's imprecations of "Are We Not Men?!", the snipers refuse to take out the Russian, due to curly-haired American kids getting in the way (– strange, that's never stopped them in real life...).

When the movie has degenerated to the final chase sequence, Devoe gets to perform the action hero staple of Running Over Car Roofs and sliding over car hoods like a TV cop – he even gets to knock over a bum with a shopping cart! This movie has everything!

Finally we meet the star of our show – The Bomb - replete with easy-to-read big red digital numbers ticking down (Sesame Street was so proud they dedicated a sock puppet to Devoe), which Julia must defuse. And the big red numbers only give us two minutes to think about how predictable this whole scenario is – as if the film-makers would risk mussing Nicole Kidman's makeup by having a bomb explode in her face. But wait! – there's more malarkey to digest: we are told – via Julia's harried and wholly specious dialog – that this contraption is a "bomb within a bomb"; that there is a small "normal" bomb that they can detonate which will actually negate the detonation of the "nuclear" bomb – I'd like to slap someone now, please - so we can still have our "happy ending" (the big convenient explosion) and yet save civilization!

Diving through a stained-glass window with an explosion at your heels apparently only sustains a few minor scratches to the forehead, no worse than falling off your bike on some soft grass. "It's a beautiful, beautiful world!"

Let us not forget the pat Hollywood epilogue: Julia does laps in a pool while Devoe appears to make energy-dome innuendo about "whipping it good!" after she emerges. Not that she has any choice in her future bed-partner. As Devoe once sang, "Freedom of choice is what you want / Freedom from choice is what you got." He is, after all, a New Traditionalist, and one of the Ten Commandments states, "Thou shalt not end a Major American Studio Movie without the heterosexual couple spanking it, to please the slack-jawed masses."

Fade to hack.

(Movie Maniacs, visit: www.poffysmoviemania.com)

The boredom breaker

[fjfuatai-73355 · 7/10 · 4 February 2024]

Despite Clooney's at most times overacting, the film was entertaining from start to finish. I get it, Clooney's first big foray into blockbuster Hollywood action movie and obviously {he} wanted to make as big an impact as possible...however due to his limited acting ability and his habitual irritating gesture of I first talk while I'm looking at the ground then I roll my head 90 degrees to the person etc., it comes across fake and self-indulgent as though he's trying to look cool/suave always. Also, his over enthusiasm to at times cut Kidman off while she's talking is like...I'm the star and you're the supporting actor therefore I am allowed to talk over you, and this is how a real star acts in a scene! As a side gig he really made wearing chinos and polo shirt look good. Kidman, I thought was a bit out of her depth, couldn't match the intensity Clooney brought however over the top he was. I did not think she sold the physical presence of someone in authority as she was supposed to be. Definitely played 2nd fiddle to Clooney, whenever they shared a scene. She came across at times meek and definitely looked as though she was pretending/acting to be someone she wasn't. The film itself highly entertaining but with all blockbuster Hollywood action movies, you need to place your logic function on hold while watching it. Would I watch its sequel if one was made? Yes but only if it was free. Director needed to tell Clooney calm down a bit, don't be overly eager or over-the-top when in a scene...definitely for him less is more would have worked.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 3 July 2006]

Despite never being impressed with this film, I watched it several times. Maybe I just wanted to get my money's worth out of the DVD but I recall, I actually liked this the first time I saw it. However, the more I watched it, the dumber the film got: sort of like George Clooney's political statements.

As stated, the story began losing credibility with multiple viewings. There are just too many hokey action and plot holes to make this the "intelligent" film it's trying to be. Nicole Kidman's beauty doesn't help, either. There is just no way someone in her position looks like that. Clooney is his normal arrogant character but part of that makes him interesting to watch.

It's really a "fair" movie but you just know it could and should have been a lot better. Maybe that's why I gave it several chances, always hoping that it would be better than it really is.

Stylish, hi-tech, completely unbelievable... Great

[The_Dead_See · 8/10 · 1 August 1999]

A lot of so-called action directors should take some time off to watch this movie and learn from it. We do not need to see a dodgy cgi train crash when we can have things the subtle way, just a couple being awoken by the distant destruction. We don't need to see a carriage load of soldiers cut down with machine guns in a choreographed ballet sequence, just the arcing laser sights through an open doorway. We don't need ultra evil bad guys who kill off their companions in sudden rages, just a compassionate man on a disillusioned mission for peace. We don't need the 'obligatory' kiss between the co stars at the finale, just the promise of future things.

Peacemaker is politically unbelievable, it has some seriously ill thought out moments. But at the end of the day it brings a freshness to sequences we've all seen a million times before, it lets us feel the emotions of ALL the characters. Intelligent, stylish, and great fun to boot. Worth a couple of hours of anyone's evening.

i quite enjoyed it...

[lily_ivan2005 · 7/10 · 16 November 2007]

the opening of the movie was great, i was expecting more on the story after the first part but all i saw was a cliché, nevertheless the movie was entertaining in some point.

this movie showed that not all terrorists are heartless or monsters. All people who want to do bad have their reasons and that's what i saw in this movie. One thing more, about the Americans or US government, no wonder why some people got crossed with them, coz they like meddling, they just couldn't take away their hands in everybody's business. Well, that's what every war movies have shown, correct me if i'm wrong.

Anyway, i gave this movie 7 out of 10.

By The Book Post Cold War Thriller

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 12 June 2005]

Did you know there's literally hundreds of nuclear warheads scattered throughout the old Soviet Union ? Bad news for humanity but good news for Hollywood producers who want to make a post cold war thriller featuring stolen nuclear warheads getting into the wrong hands but this type of scenario has become over familiar . While women watch " Disease of the week " TVMs I guess the boys will be watching " stolen nuclear warhead of the week " on another channel

So what makes THE PEACEMAKER different from a mediocre Tom Clancey novel or a James Bond movie ? Good question and one that I can't really come with a good answer to . I could point out that the bad guy is a White European Christian but if I remember correctly the plot of THE SUM OF ALL FEARS was changed so instead of Arabs we had WASPish Neo Nazis as the bad guys . In fact I'm struggling to remember when the bad guys weren't whacko white guys , would it be GOLDFINGER by any chance ?

I guess the movie deserves some credit in mentioning the motives of the villain who is misguided rather than evil , and the motives don't exactly put the United States in a very good light but of course it's left to an American special forces officer to save the day and yes there's a scene where the hero attempts to defuse a bomb that has a timer that helpfully lets the audience know how many seconds are left to detonation YAWN

THE PEACEMAKER isn't a terrible movie . In it's favour it's much better than another Hollywood blockbuster dealing with the Balkans conflict namely BEHIND ENEMY LINES but is in no way comparable to something like SAVIOR . It's also infinitely inferior to a mainly forgotten British production called SEVEN DAYS TO NOON and it's a movie that is more interested in making money at the box office than giving people sleepless nights in a world where a stolen nuclear warhead might explode anywhere

Thud.

[rmax304823 · 4 October 2003]

SPOILERS. Clooney seems like an actor of modest talent but an affable guy, whose part here could have been handled by Willis. Kidman probably has more range and is definitely more decorative. (Her nose seems to have been professionally drafted by someone with a set of transparent plastic French curves.) Iures is frankly charismatic, on the order of Yves Montand, and is the only character given any developmental background. That is to say, the performances aren't bad -- but the movie is. Where to begin.

1. We meet Clooney at a Senate hearing while he is being asked to account for his arrest during a fist fight in a saloon in the company of a foreign spy and a prostitute. He's one of those roguish wisecracking mavericks we are supposed to like immediately. (In case you don't like fist fights, foreign spies, or whores, he has an explanation that absolves him of depraved tastes.)

2. The dialogue is ineffable. "We've got AUTHORIZATION, boys! Let's ROCK AND ROLL!"

3. The writers were unsure of who to pin the blame on so they spread the guilt around generously. There are the Russians of course, since we can't seem to get over the Cold War. And then the German are shown hard at work doing evil, a stretch, true, but still World War II was no pink tea. The chief villain describes himself as a Serb, a Croat, and a Moslem. Iraq is brought up in the first few minutes, and the stolen nukes are headed towards Iraq. North Korea was not invited to the party.

4. The action scenes were I'm sure generated by computer. A truck entering a bridge is blasted by a helicopter, swerves wildly, knocking down utility poles and whipping around cables that emit sparkling fountains, before finally smashing through the railing and being jolted to a halt by the cables now wrapped around its axle. Clooney is dropped onto the truck bed by cable from a helicopter. A surving villain knocks the pistol out of his hand and we get the obligatory shot of it skidding across the floor out of reach. Another fist fight while the cables snap their stops one by one and the truck dips farther off the edge of the bridge. (Cf., the elevator scene at the beginning of "Speed.") The helicopter crew decides the truck is about to take its final nose dive and they yank Clooney back up, but the cable was somehow wrapped around his neck and is strangling him, so he whips out a knife and cuts the metal cable in one swipe. He drops back into the truck, finishes off the heavy, saves the stolen nukes, and the truck finally pulls loose of its encumberances and drops towards the gorge below, exploding halfway down, and leaving a Harvard-educated Pakistani astrophysicist dangling from a bridge girder. (None of this is made up, I swear.)

5. Clooney, Kidman, and an accomplice complete a dangerous theft and make off happily in their car. The accomplice mentions that they are in an embassy car so it's armor plated and has bulletproof windows. I leave you to guess whether this datum turns out to be important in the next 60 seconds.

6. Those cars skidding and twirling and pirouetting along the rain-slick streets of Vienna, the driver, Clooney, having presumably learned his skills at the feet of Remi Julian or however it's spelled.

7. Iures intends to explode a nuke at the UN Building but is wounded and goes to ground a few blocks away. Clooney poses the perfectly reasonable question of why Iures just doesn't blow the thing up now, since it will "take out half of New York City." Kidman shouts back, "You don't UNDERSTAND. That's not what he wants. He wants his death to MEAN something!" Well, you can tell just from this exchange that Iures is a man of no mean principle. Looked at pragmatically, a few hundred yards would make little difference, and nobody would be left alive to tell whether Iures had reached his goal or not anyway. Where was I? Oh yes, number eight. Thank you.

8. Iures is now dead on the altar but his warhead or whatever it is is timed to go off in a few minutes. We know this because there is a red digital readout that tells us how much time is left. All exploding devices have red digital readouts. Why? That's a deeply profound question. Kidman must figure out how to disarm the primer so that only the pre-primer will explode (or something). She hacks at the fiendish device with fingernails, screwdriver, and pistol butt, while Clooney counts aloud the number of seconds remaining. "Nine. Eight. Hurry up! Seven." Doing the countdown in a situation like this, it's true, is a dirty and thankless task, but somebody's got to do it!

My mind is so benumbed by exposure to radiation leakage that I can no longer count past eight. I don't think the producers of this piece of derivative stereotypical commercial garbage could either, unless the number were preceded by a dollar sign.

Routine, but competently handled.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 6 June 2021]

"The Peacemaker" is another politically loaded action thriller in which the theft of atomic warheads being transported by train turns out to be a terrorist act. But have no fear: on the case is a supremely self-confident American field agent (George Clooney) and a capable if inexperienced nuclear weapons expert (Nicole Kidman). They traverse the globe trying to find the culprits responsible; the main baddie is a man named Gavrich (Romanian actor Marcel Iures) who turns out to have a personal motivation behind the whole thing.

Mimi Leder made a decent enough feature filmmaking debut with this movie, inspired by an article by Leslie and Andrew Cockburn. It doesn't really offer us things that we haven't seen before, but Leder and company were probably smart in making the script often take a back seat to some first-rate action sequences orchestrated by second unit director Conrad Palmisano (a veteran stuntman and stunt co-ordinator). The movie on the whole is pretty entertaining, giving us some reasonably exciting moments as well as some more plot-heavy scenes to allow us time to catch our breaths. It never does top its opening minutes, with a very atmospheric nighttime robbery of these aforementioned warheads.

The cast is loaded with a bunch of familiar and reliable actors. Clooney is charismatic as usual, although he and the typically sexy Kidman don't exactly get a chance to flesh these characters out all that much. The international supporting cast includes such familiar faces as Randall Batinkoff, Jim Haynie, Holt McCallany, Michael Boatman, and the always wonderful German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl as an old friend of Clooney's. Co-star Gary Werntz, who plays Hamilton, is Leders' real-life husband. Iures is a standout as the kind of sad-faced "villain" whom we can definitely understand without condoning his actions.

As far as this kind of topical entertainment goes, "The Peacemaker" delivers adequate thrills. The cinematography and camera-work are first-rate, and pacing is efficient. At the very least, it prevented this viewer from constantly checking his watch.

Seven out of 10.

A 2 star movie

[kostasmousourakis · 7/10 · 5 April 2024]

A movie a little bit tiring (very tiring 😇) in the beginning but with a good ryth at the end. A classic movie with one military agent and one nuclear scientist hunting the thieves of 10 nuclear bombs. After a long term chasing finaly they manage to stop the chief and save the N. Y. From the devastation. The movie has also pretty good music from Hans Zimmer and good graphics. Its a common chasing movie with reference in the war of Serbia. In the beginning its a little bit tiring with non useless scenes but when you understand what happens the plot and the ryth goes better. Nothing overwhelming but a good movie to spend your time.

The dream is on

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 16 April 2018]

The Peacemaker was the film that launched Dreamworks, the studio created by Spielberg, Geffen and Katzenberg. The studio that was supposed to revitalise Hollywood but its own dreams fizzled out less than a decade later.

George Clooney and Nicole Kidman go out of the gates helped with talent from the television show ER such as director Mimi Leder, so Clooney will feel comfortable with his transition from television star to movie star.

Watching the film again, the start of the movie looked rather familiar. It seems Spielberg riffed it for his fourth Indiana Jones film in 2008. Some rogue Russian military officers kill the soldiers in a transport train and steal nuclear warheads. One warhead is left behind which crashes to an oncoming passenger train and is then detonated.

The Russians claim it is an accident. The White House nuclear expert Dr Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) believes that the bomb was set off deliberately by terrorists rebels from somewhere like Chechnya. Maverick Colonel Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) believes that this was an elaborately staged heist to market nuclear weapons to the highest bidder. With the bomb going off it could be months before anyone can get to the accident site to find out what happens, enough time for the villains to carry out their plan.

Kelly and Devoe join forces and discover that the plan involves more than selling nuclear missiles to a rogue state but linked to the events of the breakup of Yugoslavia as a Bosnian Serb leader wants to make a statement.

The film is a solid action thriller, some of it is nonsense. The main villain Dusan describes himself as a Serb, a Croat and a Muslim. I have no idea what this meant but it might feel insulting to the survivors of the Bosnian ethnic genocide in the 1990s.

However it is a well paced thriller, some of the CGI does look cheap, it appears to be intelligent by mentioning all the current hot spots of the era. There is good chemistry between Kidman and Clooney but their characters are thinly sketched. The film has nothing that makes it outstanding or even memorable.

Above-average political thriller

[tghoneyc · 7/10 · 24 August 2005]

This was the debut film of Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks studio, and while it is less than stunning, this film gives an interesting spin to mid-1990s political intrigue.

With George Clooney in what I suppose was his second lead role, after "From Dusk Till Dawn," the story examines post-Cold War Russia and the political catastrophe of U.N. negotiations in the Balkans.

The wonderful Marcel Iures is a Croatian diplomat whose disillusionment with the civil conflict in his country has led him to make a deal with a rogue Russian general to buy a stolen nuclear bomb to blow up the United Nations headquarters in New York. As heartless an act as this may be, the character, nonetheless, is a sympathetic one.

Although the movie takes place largely outside of Russia, there is even some reference to the poor conditions modern-day Russia is plagued by: "Russia, what a f*cking mess, God I miss the Cold War." It's both humorous and to some extent true.

Armin Mueller-Stahl makes an appearance as a former Soviet general who is friends with Clooney's Tom Devoe. The romance angle between Devoe and Nicole Kidman's Julia Kelly is muted by the impending danger surrounding them. They are people from different sides of the political stratosphere, so their relationship might not last long anyway, but it does end with hope in sight, for the true romantic.

Less relevant today than it was at the time it was made, the film is still a very intelligent study on foreign relations in the mid- and late nineties.

Extremely stupid movie!!!!

[galebns · 1/10 · 12 February 2006]

Quote "Russians can't find snow in the middle of the winter" but WE U.S. Army can... God help us. Next: I'm just a member of special forces of U.S. Army, i'm alone in Wiena fighting enemy spies on my own and killing them all... yeah wright. Oh i'm sorry they killed my friend and he was a good man so they had to pay for that. Well i guess when a man lose his wife and kid when sniper (which is by the way sold by USA) shot them, he has no right to revenge them, can't measure that with a good man. Now i'm not saying this is not a good action movie, i'm only saying this is a extremely bad movie!!!Bottom line is we are all stupid and bad except one and truly U.S.A. and heroes of United States Army. God help us all!!

Much better than I thought it might be . . .

[charles000 · 7/10 · 28 November 2011]

I was particularly interested in this film because I was curious how Hollywood would treat this type of scenario, and of course, anything with Nicole Kidman in it has to be at least somewhat entertaining.

I actually worked for DOE, in the national labs at Berkeley and also Los Alomos, a number of years ago, and a consequence of such have become quite familiar with nuclear ordnance in its myriad forms, including the so-called "suitcase nukes" that both the former Soviet Union & the USA have developed.

Make no mistake, these types of miniaturized nuclear devices do exist, including from decommissioned MRV ballistic missiles and the like. The concept of nuclear warheads, slipping into the wrong hands does very much exist, although in current times this may more likely come from Pakistan, or any variety of "rogue" states who could acquire such through third party brokers.

As a side note, any of these types of nuclear devices do require periodic "refurbishing", the details of which I won't elaborate on, but after a certain length of time, the capacity for thermo-nuclear detonation does diminish.

Having said all that, does the film realistically portray any of this actually translating into a potential situation? Well . . . not exactly, but I think it's interesting that at least the concept was presented in a not overly ridiculous fashion.

Sadly, with tremendous irony, I noted the twin trade towers in several of the background scenes. How odd it is that history often unfolds in the least expected ways. It was, after all, not a miniaturized nuke that was the greatest act of terrorism and evil ever perpetrated on US citizens, but rather planes filled with people . . . and boxcutters as the weaponry of terror.

Was the film entertaining? Yes. Could it have been done better? Not sure if I have a qualified answer, but it certainly could have been done much worse.

A bit dated? Perhaps . . . but I still think it's worth the time to watch, and contemplate.

The Peacemaker

[CinemaSerf · 5/10 · 27 August 2023]

Well at least there is some eye candy - George Clooney is at his most alluring. Otherwise, this is really all rather a dull and unremarkable thrill-free thriller that follows the antics of an American colonel "Devoe" and his handler "Kelly" (Nicole Kidman). He is a special intelligence officer, she a scientific expert at the White House - and both are concerned following a nuclear accident on board a train in Russia. Was it an accident? What happened to the warheads that were being transported? Is this a state sponsored bit of warmongering, or have the Kremlin got some rogues to deal with? Of course it falls to our not very dynamic duo to thwart the dastardly plan before the United Nations itself becomes a target. It's got all the usual ingredients - political machinations in Washington, Vienna comes in for quite a pummelling and, of course, there are pyrotechnics too - but the whole film is just too derivative. It smacks of a weak "James Bond" style affair, only without the gadgets or the power ballad. The supporting cast are adequate, and from the looks of it pretty local to the Macedonian location filming, but that authenticity does nothing to augment the pretty stilted dialogue and at over two hours, the largely lethargic pace of the whole thing. Clooney looks the part, Kidman looks uncertain and frankly, a little bored. I now how she felt.

A Real Suspenseful Thriller by Mimi Leder!

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 9 May 2006]

Terrorist films abound these days, as though putting stories about terrorists who make mistakes is supposed to make us all feel more safe. This taut, well-written and finely acted espionage film is different that those currently in front of us: made in 1997 this film in retrospect had a better grip on just how frightening terrorism is and how two-sided the implications of danger usually are.

Filmed with never let your guard down suspense, the story is rather simple: nuclear weapons are circulating with one headed to the US and the military joins with science in tracking the carrier of the bomb. George Clooney is in fine form as Lt. Col. Thomas Devoe, professional yet charismatic and his scientific colleague is Dr. Julia Kelly, with Nicole Kidman delivering a polished performance. And for once we get to see a terrorist as a person: Dusan Gavrich (Marcel Iures), despite his mission to destroy us, is a vulnerable, bruised human being. The supporting roles are well handled by such strong character actors as Armin Mueller-Stahl.

Cinematographer Dietrich Lohmann keeps the action lively with multi-angled shots and surveillance scenes and the tension is well maintained with the music score by Hans Zimmer. But in the final analysis the credit for the success of this film lies in the capable hands of Mimi Leder. A terrific little suspense film. Grady Harp

Decent Popcorn Fun

[ReelCheese · 7/10 · 15 November 2006]

It's not really anything we haven't seen before, but THE PEACEMAKER makes for a fun popcorn movie. George Clooney stars as a US army colonel who, along with Nicole Kidman, must track down stolen weapons of mass destruction before it's too late. It all makes for a fairly engaging effort that, say what you will about it, is never boring.

What's most refreshing about THE PEACEMAKER is its avoidance of the obligatory sleep-together scene usually involving the male hero and his female aide. Without the distraction of romance, they (and we) are able to focus solely on the task at hand, a task given added weight by real-life events that followed this film's release. Good action scenes, particularly where Clooney drops into a suspect truck, add to our enjoyment.

Well, what can I say

[mr_fister · 1/10 · 18 November 2007]

Yet another All American World Saving film. Not only is 90% of this film predictable with renegade terrorists not sticking to plans, ex-regime Generals looking to give the finger to Democracy and only one man (and woman in a bathing suit) can stop them as usual with an array of unorthodox tactics.

From the outset the film lacked a convincing story which seemed to follow a formula. Take "Broken Arrow" for example, its basically the same except no Stealth Bombers.

If you want to watch a film with some substance then this is definitely not the film for you, if anything it will just anger you with the amount of rubbish that is being displayed.

On the other hand Hanz Zimmer's soundtrack is very gripping and stirring, especially the mens choir work, very nice indeed.