On G List of Movie Reviews
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The Guardian (2006)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
2/26
2/26:
That's why you are the man, Kevin Costner.
He gives one of the best performances of his career in The Guardian. I've never seen a movie about
the United States Coastal Guard. The whole thing is fascinating from start to finish. Sure, the training
stuff sometimes reminds me of Men of Honor with Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr., but it's very
compelling with different tests for endurance in the water.
Ashton Kutcher continues to be an underrated actor. He has an outstanding scene with Kevin Costner when it
comes to finding out why his character decided to be in the Aviation Survival Technician program given that
he could've become an Olympic swimmer. However, the love subplot with Melissa Sagemiller is a
mistake, making the film weaker than necessary by trying to be like
An Officer and a Gentlemen while forgetting about the rest
of his teammates.
Another problem is the unevenness of the cinematography. Whenever heroic rescue efforts are applied, the look
of the oceanic environment feels cheap and unconvincing. Somehow, that gets better over time, especially during
the second half of the film. This is actually a new territory for Andrew Davis who tends to make Chicago-based
policiers. No matter what, Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher are able to overcome this problem by
soldiering on.
All in all, The Guardian is an overwhelmingly positive and inspiring movie about what United States
Coastal Guard rescue swimmers do for a living.