We've seen another muscle-bound action hero share the screen with little kids before when Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in Kindergarten Cop. So the novelty of seeing Vin Diesel in The Pacifier isn't really all that new. We've also seen movies about men changing diapers such as Three Men and a Baby and Daddy Day Care. And so, to be perfectly honest, there's not much here that is new or fresh.
However, what this movie does give us is the power to dream, to look deep inside ourselves, and to discover the very nature of our souls for the very first time. Oh wait...nevermind. No it doesn't. Sorry 'bout that.
Diesel is Lieutenant Shane Wolfe, a Navy SEAL whose latest mission is to protect the family of a kidnapped scientist. At first, Wolfe doesn't even take the time to learn the kids' names as he dubs them Red One, Red Two, Red Baby, and so on. We get a few laughs as he straps milk bottles and juice boxes on his belt like grenades and drives the family's mini-van like an assault vehicle (afterwards, the little girl, Lulu, jumps out of the van, hugs the ground and cries out "Land!"). Predictably, he grows quite fond of the children and winds up saving the day (don't worry, I didn't "spoil" anything for you.)
In actuality, this movie serves as mild entertainment for the kids, but you parents out there may get quite bored at times by the juvenility of it all...especially in Brad Garrett's character, the vice president and wrestling coach with a self-inflated ego. Garrett's performance can be summarized in one word: overacting.
In the end, what this movie does teach us is that little girls should be trained to beat up little boys and that fighting is OK. You parents out there who disagree with this philosophy might want to select another film. While it does get a few laughs, the underlying message that it is giving is a bit wrong, in my opinion.
If you enjoy nonsensical plots with no real redeeming value and a lot of overacting, then this movie is for you!