Customer Reviews

The Guardian (2006) (Widescreen)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I will admit to being a little biased over my watching of this movie. Although I am not myself a coast guard rescue swimmer, I think anyone who is in the rescue/emergency services field will identify with this movie a bit. I went in expecting the worst, and although this movie didn't blow me out of the water, it doesn't sink like a stone either.

I would compare this movie to the likes of "Top Gun", with a little bit of "Always". It has that same feel of "best of the best" in training, and a peek at their personal life. This movie focuses more on the training itself than Top Gun did though. You'll see more exercises and trials. There is of course a love story, but it takes more of a back seat to the student/mentor relationship between the characters of Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner.

Kutcher plays the typical cocky recruit who feels he's owed some kind of respect before he even knows the instructors. He pulls off the role nicely without becoming too irritating or entirely unlikable. Costner plays the old dog who would rather be in the field than training newbies. He portrays the role in his signature style of being gruff but interested in a better outcome because of it. You slowly see these two go from butting heads to learning to respect each other for what they did, or will (in the near future) offer to the service.

Other themes touched upon are Costner dealing with the loss of his previous crew, the impact of his job on his marriage, and Kutcher learning that records are just the good numbers in your career. You'll also see Costner at odds with fellow instructors over teaching methods. The darker side of emergency response careers is represented, but not explored very much. I think it was a good move as this movie is on the whole supposed to be more positive. The movie is definitely not oblivious to what's 'beneath the surface' though.

This movie is neither terrible, nor brilliant. It's easy to see most plot developments coming, as the characters are familiar from past movies similar to this one. The coast guard isn't featured in these types of movies typically however, so the fresh face is welcome. It's got some cheese and cliches to keep it back from being great, but I thought the movie was at least entertaining. I will definitely watch this again.

OK so I'm a sucker for hero-movies. Kevin Costner gives a fine performance of a true hero, a man who doesn't consider himself special only one dedicated to his life's work. Dedicated to the point where it cost him a marraige. He's at a time in his life when mentoring a younger man gives him fulfillment and the relationship is captivating.

There's sufficient action to keep one interested and enough emotional charge to sustain the film.

The ending is, for me, the best part. Costner leaves the realm of hero and enters the world of legend -- he would have lived well in the time of the ancient Greeks where legends were more important than living. It reminded me a bit of Achilles who is given a choice whether to live a live of happy fulfillment in marraige and leave a legacy of grandchildren or a short heroic live and leave a legend for posterity. Costner's choice wasn't as clear-cut as Achilles but the result is the same. This one is a keeper for romantics like myself who believe in legends and heroes.

I was pleasantly surprised when viewing this movie. Both Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher delivered powerful performances playing extremely well off each other.

The humorous parts, the tough exploration of the training and the competition between Coster and Kutcher, kept me riveted and thoroughly entertained through the whole movie. It would have been nice to see more rescue scenes, but I guess the movie was more about training for these rescues.

In conclusion, quite entertaining, action packed and definitely worth seeing.

I was pleasantly surprised when viewing this movie. Both Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher delivered powerful performances playing extremely well off each other.

The humorous parts, the tough exploration of the training and the competition between Coster and Kutcher, kept me riveted and thoroughly entertained through the whole movie. It would have been nice to see more rescue scenes, but I guess the movie was more about training for these rescues.

In conclusion, quite entertaining, action packed and definitely worth seeing.

This is a 5 year old Blu-Ray and sell for 12.99 US at DVD Empire. I don't know of a single soul who would accept such a rip off.

In The Guardian, Kevin Costner plays Ben Randall, a legendary Coast Guard rescue swimmer. After losing his team in a helicopter crash in which he was the only survivor, the haunted hero reluctantly takes a job as a teacher at the Aviation Survival Training Centre. The new class of recruits includes Jake Fisch (Ashton Kutcher), a cocky swim champ with a dark secret of his own. It is no surprise their relationship is antagonistic from the start, as the aging Randall must teach Fisch everything he knows.

Randall's ordeal parallels that of the weathered Costner, who passes the leading-man torch to Kutcher; though the latter proves he has screen presence, his character is so conceited he is hard to like. The underutilized Sela Ward plays Randall's wife with aplomb, but deserves meatier roles. Melissa Sagemiller appears as Fisch's love interest, but the coy and flirtatious banter between them brings the story to a screeching halt. The most engaging character is Hodge (Brian Geraghty), who is on his third attempt to pass the gruelling course.

It is nice that the overlooked Coast Guard finally gets it due justice in cinematic lore, with a story that is both gripping and believable. Freshman writer Ron Brinkerhoff balances the right amounts of conflict and humour but, in an effort to increase the female audience, dilutes the testosterone levels by trying to enhance the poignancy during the tender moments.

Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Under Siege) handles action well, and creates suspenseful sequences that raise one's heartbeat. Unfortunately, the rigorous training scenes are marred by jerky camera work and grainy images that needlessly try to emulate home video footage. While the cinematography of the frozen Alaskan wilderness is only briefly stunning, the frequent voracious seas are satisfying compensation.

However, in such a cold environment, one should be able to see vapours billowing from the actors' every breath, but the lack of such clearly indicates the close-ups were shot in heated tanks. (Couldn't Touchstone afford to add them by CGI?)

Clichéd, cookie-cutter, and predictable, The Guardian is merely a glorified recruiting film that will be remembered only for boosting Coast Guard enrolment. Rating: 6 out of 10.

i really enjoyed this movie.for one thing,we actually have a movie
about real heroes,who are not cocky and arrogant,but do their jobs with
little recognition.the heroes i'm talking about are the men and woman
of the coast guard, specifically the rescue swimmers.in most cases,they
do not know the people they are saving,and many times they they will
never know their names.this film focuses on the U.S Coastguard,and
stars Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher as the main characters.Costner
plays Ben Randall,a legendary rescue swimmer,who,due to a tragedy
during his last mission,find himself as the instructor of the Coast
Guard's "A" school, where the best of the best are trained.Kutcher plays
Jake Fischer,a cocky young,high school swim champion,whose only reason
for being there is to beat all the records,most of then held by
Randall.from here on,the movie follows the predictable Hollywood
formula for this genre.however,it is better than many movie of its
type.one reason for that is the realism in the rescue scenes.there are
some really harrowing,thrilling moments.the dramatic scenes are also
well done.Kevin Costner is very convincing in his role.however,Kutcher
really impresses,with his maturity,and dare i say it, depth.he is
definitely evolving as a serious actor.Sela Ward has the thankless role
as Randall'e neglected wife.her screen time is limited and i got the
impression she was sort of coasting along with her character.but to be
fair,she isn't really given the screen time needed to bring more depth
to the character.that is the nature of the role,which is why it is
thankless.Andrew Davis(under Siege,The Fugitive)directed the
Guardian,and did a brilliant job bringing the script by Ron.L
Brinkerhoff to life.finally,i should mention the Coast Guard motto:"So
Others May Live".that tells you how selfless these men and women
are,putting their lives on the line for people they don't know.it's
nice to see them get some recognition,and maybe the movie will inspire
people to join the Coast Guard.anyway,although this movie would not be
called a masterpiece(it isn't that kind of move)it is an excellent film
in its own right.I give "The Guardian" a strong 4.5/5

Probably one of the most juvenile, worst written films I have seen in recent years, representing itself as a liberal movie whereas in fact it tries to exploit every societal hangup in existence ! The actors do their best but as every movie fan knows, if the writing ain't there then you're watching shadows on a wall.

It had to be written by a Hollywood hack who has had no experience with kids in the court system, has no feeling for the compexity of good and bad that these kids embody. Instead, every character is portrayed in an extreme black or while characterization which allows no room to feel you are looking at a real human being. You will find no humor and no real warmth in this movie, only one dimensional characters in search of a teardrop from their audience.

To watch Simon Baker in a more intelligent scrip, watch "The Mentalist"; or, to see what complex characterizations can do to enliven a crime movie, watch " New Tricks"............. Jerry