Into the Blue
3.5/4
Starring: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Josh Brolin, James Frain
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Action Violence, Drug Material, Some Sexual Content and Language
If you had the chance to make more than a billion dollars in one day, what would you do? Would you be willing to do some blatantly illegal activities for that shot? What about risking your life, or those of the people you care about? We'd like to think that we'd stay on the safe side and turn down everything to stick to the higher ground, but the truth is that most of us would take that chance. Four people are about to find out how far they are willing to go to live on easy street.
Jared (Walker) is a dive guide living in the Bahamas. He's a treasure hunter in his free time, although he hasn't found much (due in part to the fact that his boat is rotting). Jared lives in a trailer with his gorgeous girlfriend, Sam (Alba). When his best friend Bryce (Caan) comes to visit with his girlfriend of 14 hours, Amanda (Scott), the stumble onto two things: one, a wreck of the fabled ship Zephyr, which is worth tens of millions in 1861 dollars, and a downed plane filled with a hell of a lot of cocaine. In order to claim the Zephyr find as their own, they have to have the money to do it. All of them agree to stay away from the plane until they claim the wreck, but when time isn't on their side (a rival treasure hunter, Bates (Brolin), has better equipment and is bound to find it eventually), the cocaine seems mighty tempting to sell.
The acting is, for the most part, surprisingly good. There are those who say that Paul Walker is a pretty face who can't act. I am not among that group. While I'll admit that he's not the best actor around (although he can act when he puts his mind to it...see "Running Scared" if you don't believe me), when it comes to playing Southern California jocks, there's no one better. Anyone who has been to LA will know people who look and talk exactly like him. Walker has a few stiff moments early on, but I'll chalk that up to the script. Overall, Walker makes Jared into a surprisingly real character. Also good is Jessica Alba. Like Walker, she's known mainly for her good looks. Also like Walker, she can act. She's more than a conscience for the other characters. She's willing to go along, but only to a point. It also helps that she has good chemistry with Walker (the two became good friends during filming). The best performance is given by Scott Caan. Caan is terrific as the persuasive asshole Bryce. For him, the chance at getting stinking rich is worth anything. There really is no argument in his point of view. But his character is smartly written, and the scenes with him and Walker are very real. Less impressive is Ashley Scott, who is a little stiff. She's not terrible, however. Josh Brolin is a good rival, and James Frain and supermodel Tyson Beckford ooze malice.
John Stockwell has made teen-targeted films, including "Crazy/Beautiful" with Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez, the surfing movie "Blue Crush," and the horror flick "Turistas." He does some fine work here; there's a lot going on here, more than usual for a summer action movie. Stockwell lets it unfold piece by piece, and ably camouflages the twists (of which there are a few). He also has the talent to make the Bahamas, and his stars, look their best (generously helped by his cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut, who was later the victim of Christian Bale's infamous tirade on the set of "Terminator Salvation"). Even if the film wasn't as much fun as it is, it would be worth watching on mute just to see all the eye candy.
Look, great art, it's not. I would be tempted to label it as a guilty pleasure, except for the fact that I have no qualms about loving this movie.
Starring: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Josh Brolin, James Frain
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Action Violence, Drug Material, Some Sexual Content and Language
If you had the chance to make more than a billion dollars in one day, what would you do? Would you be willing to do some blatantly illegal activities for that shot? What about risking your life, or those of the people you care about? We'd like to think that we'd stay on the safe side and turn down everything to stick to the higher ground, but the truth is that most of us would take that chance. Four people are about to find out how far they are willing to go to live on easy street.
Jared (Walker) is a dive guide living in the Bahamas. He's a treasure hunter in his free time, although he hasn't found much (due in part to the fact that his boat is rotting). Jared lives in a trailer with his gorgeous girlfriend, Sam (Alba). When his best friend Bryce (Caan) comes to visit with his girlfriend of 14 hours, Amanda (Scott), the stumble onto two things: one, a wreck of the fabled ship Zephyr, which is worth tens of millions in 1861 dollars, and a downed plane filled with a hell of a lot of cocaine. In order to claim the Zephyr find as their own, they have to have the money to do it. All of them agree to stay away from the plane until they claim the wreck, but when time isn't on their side (a rival treasure hunter, Bates (Brolin), has better equipment and is bound to find it eventually), the cocaine seems mighty tempting to sell.
The acting is, for the most part, surprisingly good. There are those who say that Paul Walker is a pretty face who can't act. I am not among that group. While I'll admit that he's not the best actor around (although he can act when he puts his mind to it...see "Running Scared" if you don't believe me), when it comes to playing Southern California jocks, there's no one better. Anyone who has been to LA will know people who look and talk exactly like him. Walker has a few stiff moments early on, but I'll chalk that up to the script. Overall, Walker makes Jared into a surprisingly real character. Also good is Jessica Alba. Like Walker, she's known mainly for her good looks. Also like Walker, she can act. She's more than a conscience for the other characters. She's willing to go along, but only to a point. It also helps that she has good chemistry with Walker (the two became good friends during filming). The best performance is given by Scott Caan. Caan is terrific as the persuasive asshole Bryce. For him, the chance at getting stinking rich is worth anything. There really is no argument in his point of view. But his character is smartly written, and the scenes with him and Walker are very real. Less impressive is Ashley Scott, who is a little stiff. She's not terrible, however. Josh Brolin is a good rival, and James Frain and supermodel Tyson Beckford ooze malice.
John Stockwell has made teen-targeted films, including "Crazy/Beautiful" with Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez, the surfing movie "Blue Crush," and the horror flick "Turistas." He does some fine work here; there's a lot going on here, more than usual for a summer action movie. Stockwell lets it unfold piece by piece, and ably camouflages the twists (of which there are a few). He also has the talent to make the Bahamas, and his stars, look their best (generously helped by his cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut, who was later the victim of Christian Bale's infamous tirade on the set of "Terminator Salvation"). Even if the film wasn't as much fun as it is, it would be worth watching on mute just to see all the eye candy.
Look, great art, it's not. I would be tempted to label it as a guilty pleasure, except for the fact that I have no qualms about loving this movie.
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