The Guardian - A Superlative Action Flick

The question that one has to ask is when was the last time you saw a movie featuring members of the Coast Guard? Not the Navy mind you, or the Air Force, the Army or the Marines - the U.S. Coast Guard!

Somehow I cannot think of John Wayne having ever played a member of the Coast Guard.

The latest film featuring Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner is that rarity, a story of the men of the Coast guard. Kutcher portrays a troubled young man who enlists in the Coast Guard and Costner the hard-nosed, veteran rescuer who takes the newest enlistee under his tutelage.

The film graphically brings to the big screen the extraordinary physical training regiment that Coast Guard rescue team members undergo in preparation for their difficult roles. After seeing their training regiment, is easy to see why these folks are seen as an elite group of physical and mental prowess.

Kutcher plays the young and cocky Jake Fischer, opposite Costner’s tough-minded Ben Randall. The movie is an action thriller, combining lots of suspense with just the right feel of realism. Throw in a number of wondrous one liners that ripple with sarcasm and you have just the right mix of tension and humor. Kutcher and Costner handle their roles superbly and a fine ensemble cast of actors gives the movie many real people. Add some top notch cinematography to the mix and you have a movie that should appeal to young men without the blatant and mind-numbing violence that is featured in most Hollywood productions to day.

At two hours and fifteen minutes the film is just a tad long. Directed by Andrew Davis, many may also find that the ending goes a bit overboard on heroics with some loss of realism in the process. But all in all, it is worth the price of admission.

The movie, from Buena Vista Pictures, is rated PG-13.