Guardian, The DVD Review

"The Guardian" reviews

DVD

The Guardian

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-02-16 16:00:43

Provider

DVD Review

Kevin Costner is the perennial movie hero, moving from good cop in the Untouchables to the man suspicious of events surrounding JFK's assassination to baseball hero, Bodyguard, Robin Hood, aquatic hero... the list goes on although his heroics were unable to save some of his own, more recent, films at the box office.

Here he's a heroic lifeguard. And The Guardian is no ordinary lifeguard but one of the US coast guard's elite rescue swimmers.

Still in the water at an age when his contemporaries have all hung up their trunks, Costner is both swimmer and instructor, passing the baton here onto young protégé Ashton Kutcher, a cocky young maverick. Gradually we see Costner's initial mistrust of the arrogant champion swimmer give way to grudging respect.

Directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), The Guardian is more than capable when out to sea, his command of action sequences being as exemplary as the rescuers he's depicting.

It is, however, cliché-ridden from the token and quite unnecessary love interest to the flashback nightmares and, for those who remember Robin Hood, the film even ends with a Bryan Adams song.

Extras include - Making Waves: The making of The Guardian, Unsung Heroes: A tribute to real life US CG heroes, alternate ending: includes on-camera introduction by Director Andrew Davis, deleted scenes with optional commentary from the director Andrew Davis and writer Ron L. Brinkerhoff and audio commentary with the director and writer.