The Guardian

We get free movie passes at work sometimes. Usually a preview of something coming to a theater near you soon. This week there were two. One on Weds. night, which was something that features Jessica Simpson, which made me glad I worked on Weds. evenings as I am definitely NOT interested in the least in the purported comedic talents (or lack thereof) of Jessica Simpson.

The other choice, which was being screened this evening, was "The Guardian", with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. I'd seen a preview, and Kevin, while looking a bit more weathered these days, was looking good. Besides, we are talking FREE movie here. So I met up with one of my co-workers, Rachel, a former co-worker, Jaime, and Rachel's friend, Becca to go see it.

I really, really enjoyed this movie. It's about Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Think "Top Gun" meets "The Perfect Storm", and you'll get a general idea. All those huge friggin' waves and big old rescue helicopters with people drowning in the high seas and manly men leaping out of said big rescue helicopters to save them. And when you get to the Coast Guard swimmers school, well, I'm only human. What's not to like about looking at a bunch of athletically fit men in swimsuits and wet suits? There's a minor romantic element, there are comedic moments and the very nature of what these folks do, which is pulling people's asses out of seriously hot frying pans and sometimes having to choose who lives and dies, lends a certain depth to the proceedings.

Kevin, while not the sweet younger thing of "Bull Durham" and "Dances With Wolves", still looks good in this one playing the veteran swimmer who's deciding whether or not he's past it. A somewhat more troubled and seasoned Crash Davis re-emerges when he heads off to teach baby rescue swimmers. And Ashton Kutcher. Well, to be sure, he's easy on the eyes, but he's got some smarts and some chops. Plays the cocky young guy, but his character is much more fully rounded than the character Tom Cruise played in "Top Gun". I mean, I could never understand the allure of that guy ol' Tom played, but I got this guy a whole lot better. There's enough other stuff there that you'd cut Ashton's Jake Fischer some slack on being a brash young thing that thinks he knows it all.

Such romance as exists in this movie is pretty peripheral, and there's not a thing that happens on screen that would make a first date blush. Yeah, there's language here and there, but I probably hear more "language" on an average day at work. Heck, I probably USE more "language" on an average day! Older kids and teens should be okay with this one. And bear in mind, this is not a highly intellectual movie or one that takes a degree in rocket science to figure out the plot or what's gonna happen to who. Nothing new under the sun here, when it comes to general story line and plot development, but it was very entertaining.

I didn't expect to like this movie so much, truth to tell, so I am pleasantly surprised at how much I really enjoyed it. Rather like "Speed" in that regard for me. And before you run out at see it at a first run showing, know that I refuse to pay more than matinee prices to see any movies. But I'd see this one again at a matinee. Just to be sure I'd want to add it to my DVD collection. Don't care what the critics say, I'm giving this one a definite "thumbs up."