Baywatch: Movie Review

If you just wanted to have a fun, mindless romp, the big screen adaptation of "Baywatch" might be up your street. But even coming at the film with that state of mind, it is pretty much a hard sell. "Baywatch" simply falls short, especially when compared to films using the same style of humor and story-telling. You just know it could have been way better than its current state.

Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) has dedicated his life in making sure the Bay is safe from any incidents even if it means going beyond his lifeguard duties. When he discovers that a potent illegal drug is being distributed on his beach, Mitch tries to find out the source that may turn out to be a fatal decision. Things don't get easier when he is forced to butt heads with a brash new recruit (Zac Efron), an Olympic swimmer Gold medalist that only thinks of himself all the time.

First things first, we are not experts on the original television series and we wouldn't know how the film compares to its 90s roots but we do remember it being a serious drama series. "Baywatch" the film is totally different taking the route that "21 Jump Street" took and we all know how that ongoing film series has turned out. Unfortunately, "Baywatch" is a far cry from what those films accomplished. What we get is an acceptable comedic film with little incentive to watch it beyond its jokes. The biggest problem for the film is its plot. It is one that definitely never flies off. It is pretty generic, super predictable, has no substance and overall uninteresting. The only time the film becomes great is when scenes go into comedic mode. The one-liners are great and the situation our cast find themselves are silly and ridiculous but at least funny. While the action scenes were a mixed bag. When the film decides to do things with no CGI or visual effects, things looks awesome and thrilling capturing the fast-paced action we expect from a Dwayne Johnson film. But once effects are used, everything just looks fake. They couldn't even properly remove the green screen from some scenes. If we could describe the effects, it felt like it was made for a television show rather than a Hollywood film. On the acting department, the film at least shines on this regard. The actors and the characters they portrayed are likable and have great chemistry as a team. No one really stood out but it meant that everyone had their fair share of screen time and great performances. Overall, "Baywatch" turns out just average with a bad plot and bad visual effects. There's nothing wrong in taking a silly style but they could have put more effort to make that silliness great.

Rating: 2 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- the film is at least funny

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the story is simply stupid
- the visual effects are one of the worst we've seen for awhile