---
title: "Eraser: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/eraser/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/eraser"
critics_score: 53
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Eraser (1996): what the critics said

Critics' score 53 from 7 reviews: 1 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews lean mixed, with as many critics finding Eraser poor as finding it decent, and only one willing to call it good. Where there is praise, it goes to the action rather than anything around it: the set-pieces are described as slickly staged, the aeroplane sequence in particular is picked out as the film’s high point, and several reviewers enjoy Schwarzenegger’s loose, comic screen presence. Robert Pastorelli’s supporting turn is also noted as a bright spot. Even the kinder notices concede the film is thin and one-dimensional, enjoyable only as over-the-top spectacle.

The reservations cluster on the script and direction. Critics call the plot formulaic and riddled with holes, the gunplay generic and the handling unremarkable, with the excitement arriving only in bursts. The spread is wide. Den of Geek, writing a dozen years later, is the lone enthusiast, rating it an unpretentious blast; Radio Times is the harshest, saying even die-hard fans are unlikely to be satisfied.

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 21 June 1996. 

The URL identifies this as a film review, but the article text is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be established from the accessible content.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/21/movies/film-review-he-s-tough-right-but-also-lucky.html)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Rating 2.5/4. 21 June 1996. 

Ebert finds the film uneven but entertaining as an action spectacle. He singles out its energetic action sequences as a strength.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eraser-1996)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Nathan finds the film thin and one-dimensional, but ultimately enjoyable as over-the-top action entertainment. He praises its slickly delivered action set-pieces and Schwarzenegger’s comic timing and screen presence.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/eraser-review/)

## Radio Times — Joanna Berry

Rating 2/5. 

Berry finds the adventure disappointing and says it lacks the nonstop action and entertainment expected of a Schwarzenegger film. She notes that even die-hard fans are unlikely to be satisfied.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ubbjp8/eraser/)

## Time Out — TCh

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review finds the thriller cumbersome and formulaic, though it occasionally takes off. It singles out those intermittent bursts of excitement against an otherwise routine approach.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/eraser)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 June 1996. 

McCarthy finds the film a middling, plot-hole-ridden actioner that delivers enough mayhem to be a modest box-office draw. He praises Robert Pastorelli’s comic performance and the spectacular airplane sequence, while faulting the generic gunplay and unremarkable direction.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/eraser-2-1200446005/)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Rating 4/5. 18 September 2008. 

Brew finds the film an entertaining, no-frills action blast, but says there is little reason to buy this Blu-ray. He praises its unpretentious fun and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s loose, entertaining performance, while criticizing the modest transfer and lack of extras.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/eraser-blu-ray-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/eraser.md