Muleskinner

Issue date: 10/12/06 Section: Features

giggles- "The Guardian," Touchstone Production's newest release, features actors Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. The film gives a Hollywood account of what it is like to be a U.S. Coast Guard member, where the motto is "So that others may live."

As I sit down in a not-so-comfortable movie theater chair with my bucket of stale popcorn and reluctant boyfriend by my side, I wonder what director Andrew Davis has in store for me in "The Guardian," Touchstone's latest release. By the time the first 20 minutes had gone by, I knew it was going to be a rather eventful next two hours.

Without divulging too much information, the film was predictable in some parts while totally unpredictable in others. I thought I knew what was going to happen, then Davis threw a wrench in my whole thought process.

Kevin Costner plays Ben Randall, a senior chief in the U.S. Coast Guard, (USCG), who is well known for his rescues. Before we even meet the other main character, Jake Fischer, played by Ashton Kutcher, Randall experiences a traumatic situation at sea. This forces him to become a teacher for the USCG, where we meet Fischer, one of his students.

Even though I was anxious to find out what was going to happen, the ridiculously huge, computer-generated waves detracted from the whole scene. It became less annoying as the movie went on, but maybe that was just my willing suspension of disbelief.

As one could guess, Fischer and Randall have big egos, which constantly clash with each other. Both have to prove how much better he is than the other. It takes a confrontation between the two to reveal why each is so determined to be the best, providing one of the best scenes of the film. It was quite a change to see Kutcher in such a serious role, or at least a serious one where he isn't crazy ("The Butterfly Effect"). His character is worlds away from being Kelso on "That 70s Show," which was refreshing.

Of course, there had to be romantic tensions with both characters, otherwise I wouldn't have wanted to see the movie. This is where the real predictability came into play.

The lines were somewhat cheesy, but that's part of the appeal for me. I didn't pay $7 to hear people talk to each other like they do in real life.

The dialogue between the students and the instructors captured my attention, mostly because there was a lot of shouting, the main phrase being "Hoo-rah!" in true military form.

Many of the Coast Guard extras were actual Coast Guard members, so that added to the reality of those scenes. They didn't need to pretend; this was their life they were sharing.
Despite being a Hollywood film, it seemed as though the director and producers tried to remain true to the Coast Guard training exercises.

Despite a few unbelievable visual effects and cheesy dialogue, this movie was very entertaining. It gave the audience what they wanted tension, rivalry, love, laughter and tears.

While girls might be more willing to go see it, guys will find it interesting if for no other reason than the rescue missions on which these men find themselves.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools