"THE GUARDIAN"
DVD Review
by Rachel Buccicone
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Kevin Costner as BEN RANDALL Ashton Kutcher as JAKE FISCHER Rated PG-13 Studio: Touchstone Directed by: Andrew Davis Back to DVD Review Home |  |
I didn’t have high hopes going into “The Guardian”, especially since Ashton Kutcher had yet to prove himself as anything but a joke actor. Thankfully, my viewing experience wasn’t as miserable as I had expected.
Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) is a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and is still the best despite being late in his career. The start of the film dramatizes a horrible accident that takes the lives of everyone in Randall’s crew leaving him as the only survivor. As a form of forced time off, Randall is sent to train new recruits.
Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) is a cocky high school swim star out to prove he’s god’s gift to the Coast Guard. As slowly but surely other recruits drop or are kicked out, Fischer manages to break every record formerly held by Randall.
Fischer remains unable to take things seriously as his nights on the town consistently get him into trouble. After a night in jail, Fischer’s only hope for remaining in the Coast Guard lies in the secret that ended his high school swimming career.
In the end, Fischer enters the real world of Coast Guard rescue swimming and learns a lesson his training hadn’t prepared him for.
If you are seeking the movie the previews promised, you’re in for disappointment. “The Guardian” is not a film about the difficult job of the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers; it is a film about TRAINING to be a Rescue Swimmer. The first five minutes and the last half hour delve into real-world experiences, but the bulk hour of this over 2-hour movie deals with Fischer’s training. What’s more misleading is the sense of conclusion following graduation. It’s one of those just-when-you-though-it-was-over...films.
A certain amount of the training sequences involve some documentary-like shooting and effects, making these scenes less dull. The violent-sea scenes obviously are impossible without CGI, but the effects are nearly unnoticeable.
Performances aren’t bad in “The Guardian”. We all know Costner (“Rumor Has It”) is a seasoned veteran of drama (and water drama), but Kutcher (“A Lot Like Love”) finally shows some dramatic merit. Basic drama doesn’t seem to be a challenge for Kutcher and he tears up nicely in the middle of the film, but there is a moment when he is asked to portray genuine grief and concern and just doesn’t pull it off. Nevertheless, the film isn’t harmed by this singular indiscretion.
The DVD has a good amount of bonus features including an alternate ending (and who doesn’t love that?). Additionally, audio commentary with the director and writer, deleted scenes, a making-of special, and a tribute to the real-life CG Rescue Swimmers are offered.
Even if you have no faith in Ashton Kutcher, “The Guardian” is worth a watch if only to see Kevin Costner back in a non-romantic role. This is one of those tear-jerkers, so keep your tissues handy, but definitely rent it in the least. Also, if you pay attention to the ending, you may see “The Guardian” as a prequel to “Waterworld”, but that might just be me.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1). English, French and Spanish Language Tracks. French and Spanish Subtitles.
