Does Baywatch sink like a Rock?
I usually try to stay away from film reviews before writing one myself, mostly because I worry that I may be swayed towards a particular view. Reviews for Baywatch have been hard to avoid however. With most critics giving the big-screen remake of the popular ’90s television series overwhelmingly negative reviews, it’s created quite the debate online.
Dwayne Johnson (who stars in the film) has even been hitting back on his Twitter account, Tweeting, “Oh boy, critics had their venom & knives ready. Fans LOVE the movie. Huge positive scores. Big disconnect with critics & people.”
As a fan and a critic, I was intrigued as to how I would feel about the movie.
Baywatch tells the story of super-lifeguard Mitch (Johnson) who has saved over 500 victims during his time on the beach.
Along with his team – which consists of Stephanie (Ilfenesh Hadera), C.J. (Kelly Rohrbach), Summer (Alexandra Daddario), Ronnie (Jon Bass), and the disgraced Olympian Matt Brody (Zac Efron) – Mitch investigates the rise of drug activity on his turf.
The deeper the Baywatch crew dig, the more they realise a much deadlier operation is taking place around them. Despite Matt saying on numerous occasions, “Is this not a job for the police?” they take it upon themselves to save the day.
Here’s the big question… is the film any good? Actually, it’s not that bad. It’s also not great.
I can see why so many critics are panning Baywatch. It’s stupid, the plot is simple and it’s sexist. Here’s the thing… some people are going to love the fact that it’s stupid, the plot is simple and it’s sexist. The film is very self-aware (proud, almost) that it is these things.
Other people may also be upset by the tone of the film. Yes, the television series was tongue-in-cheek but it was also played fairly straight, unlike this feature-length version. Unsurprisingly (given the fact that it’s directed by Seth Gordon – Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses), here we have a balls-out comedy. And I mean balls-out in a literal sense.
If genitalia gags are your thing (and there are many), then this is definitely the film for you. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it’s good to switch off your brain – and if you can do so, you may just get a kick out of this flick.
Mikey Clarke
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Genres: Action & Comedy
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, Priyanka Chopra, Jon Bass and IlfeneshHadera.
Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Watch Baywatch and much more at Showcase Cinema De Lux, Peterborough. Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date show times. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase Cinemas’.
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