--- title: "The Pacifier: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-pacifier/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-pacifier" critics_score: 34 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # The Pacifier (2005): what the critics said Critics' score 34 from 12 reviews: 0 positive, 3 mixed, 9 negative. Most critics find The Pacifier a formulaic family comedy with too few laughs and little to entertain adults. The limited praise centres on Vin Diesel’s willingness to play against his tough-guy image: some reviews find him game and likeable, even when the jokes fail him. Variety, otherwise sharply dismissive of the film, singles out Brad Garrett as its one effective comic presence. The main disagreement concerns whether Diesel helps the comedy or holds it back. Total Film credits his efforts, while Empire finds him short of comic skill and faults the script’s pacing and forced Sound of Music references. Elsewhere, predictable plotting and repeated bodily-function jokes dominate the complaints, with assessments ranging from mild disappointment to outright dismissal. The apparent spread needs a caveat: two of the higher-scored entries have no accessible verdict, so they provide no verifiable counterargument to the largely negative consensus. ## Screen Daily — John Hazelton Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 2005. The available page identifies this as a review, but its critical verdict is not visible. No specific element of praise or complaint can be established from the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-pacifier/4022272.article) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 2005. The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/movies/a-specialops-warrior-on-a-heartthawing-mission.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 2/4. 4 March 2005. Ebert finds it an uninspired, formulaic family comedy rather than an effective vehicle for Vin Diesel. He particularly faults its predictable jokes and familiar plot. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-pacifier-2005) ## Radio Times — Sloan Freer Rating 2/5. Freer describes the comedy as uneven. The review notes its cheeky send-up of Vin Diesel’s tough-guy persona. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-rghacl/the-pacifier/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 2/5. 27 May 2005. The critic finds the film formulaic and infrequently funny, despite its appeal to younger viewers. Diesel earns praise for gamely playing against his tough-guy image, but the film lacks belly laughs. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-pacifier-review/) ## Time Out — LIZ Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2005. The critic dismisses the film as a familiar, conventional comedy. The available description singles out Vin Diesel’s monosyllabic performance and bulky physique. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-pacifier) ## Empire — Anna Smith Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Smith finds the comedy unsuccessful, saying Diesel lacks comic skill and the script is poorly paced. She singles out the forced Sound of Music references and the film’s weak emotional and comedic effect for criticism. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pacifier-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1/4. 3 March 2005. Schager dismisses the film as derivative, insipid, and too dumb to be family-friendly. He particularly faults its reliance on repeated dirty-diaper jokes and crude kiddie humor. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-pacifier/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 2005. McCarthy pans the film as a juvenile, contrived comedy and doubts Diesel’s attempt to reinvent himself. He singles out Brad Garrett as its one genuinely comic contribution. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2005/film/reviews/the-pacifier-1200527495/) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 2005. Rabin gives the film a sharply negative verdict, calling it a lifeless retread. He singles out Vin Diesel’s stiff performance and the relentless bodily-function jokes as major shortcomings. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-pacifier-1798200507) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2005. French finds the film almost entirely unfunny. He singles out its jokey title as the only funny thing. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,1494818,00.html) ## Eye for Film — David Stanners Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2005. Stanners finds the film formulaic and largely witless, with too little humor to entertain adults. He gives Diesel credit for becoming a likeable teddy bear, though the pace only improves after the first hour. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-pacifier-film-review-by-david-stanners) --- © 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/the-pacifier.md