Baywatch actually was a bit better than I expected as I did manage to chuckle throughout and the film does a good job honoring yet also making fun of the old series (a la 21 Jump Street). This is a worthy rental.
Baywatch
— Extended Cut —
(2017)
Genre(s): Action, Comedy
Paramount | R/Unrated – 116 min. / 121 min. – $48.99 | August 29, 2017
Date Published: 08/23/2017 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
THE MOVIE — 3.25/5 |
|
Plot Synopsis: When a dangerous crime wave hits the beach, legendary Lt. Mitch Buchannon (DWAYNE JOHNSON) leads his elite squad of badass lifeguards — CJ Parker (KELLY ROHRBACH) and Stephanie Holden (ILFENESH HADERA) — on a mission to prove you don’t have to wear a badge to save the bay. Joined by a trio of hotshot recruits including former Olympian Matt Brody (ZAC EFRON), Summer Quinn (ALEXANDRA DADDARIO) and Ronnie Greenbaum (JON BASS), they’ll ditch the surf and go deep undercover to take down a ruthless businesswomen (PRIYANKA CHOPRA) whose devious plans threaten the future of the bay.
Quick Hit Review: Baywatch is the latest TV series to get the big screen, big budget, adaptation and even though it’s certainly not ‘good’, I did feel that it kept the silly tone of the original series (running from 1989-2001, and had a spin-off Baywatch Nights, and a couple TV movies). I think the filmmakers were very much going for a 21 Jump Street vibe, even including cameos from Hasselhoff and Anderson, and making jokes about the original show’s trademarks, namely the slow-mo shots and lifeguards working on a case they clearly have no business investigating. It’s not nearly as clever as 21 Jump Street, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to actually laughing a time or two. But although I did chuckle at some of the jokes, and admire the assembled beauties, each doing their respective counterparts justice, Rohrbach especially was a knockout, there was a tendency to rely too much on dick jokes from Ronnie getting his junk stuck between boards of a beach chair to Brody lifting up a corpse’s ball sack all so Mitch can snap an embarrassing photo. I don’t think American Pie had this many dick jokes, but by the same token, that movie is far better – and funnier – than this.
The performances are, well, what they are. There’s not much nuance between Dwayne Johnson in Baywatch and Dwayne Johnson in the Fast franchise. He’s big, muscular and has that on-screen charisma that has shot him into super stardom and is a far cry from his Scorpion King days, a movie I mocked him for trying to be an actor. Here, he’s not bad as Mitch but I suspect this movie will fall in line with his others and won’t standout. Zac Efron takes on the rebel-like role and does well with what he was given; Jon Bass serves well as the ultimate outsider and everyman; Alexandra Daddario is cute but her character is short-changed as was Ilfenesh Hadera; and finally Priyanka Chopra is your cardboard cutout, but gorgeous, villainous. Directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses and a slew of TV shows) and story/screenplay by no less than six writers, Baywatch isn’t the horrendous movie I had feared going in. No, it’s by no means some sort of comedy gold but admittedly I did laugh a time or two.
|
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5 |
|
This release comes with a glossy and reflective slip cover. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Meet the Lifeguards (21:36; HD) introduces us to the cast, their characters and the fun they have working together. Continuing the Legacy (9:27; HD) looks at how the movie re-imagines and honors the iconic series. Stunts & Training (9:09; HD) is a featurette that checks out the amount of training and stunt work done on the production. Deleted & Extended Scenes (10:06; HD) – There were six scenes cut or trimmed, likely for pacing issues. |
4K VIDEO – 5.0/5, BD VIDEO – 5.0/5
|
| Paramount releases Baywatch onto 4K presented with a 2160p ultra high-definition transfer and shown in its original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio. The picture quality of this is incredible, detail is sharp and well defined throughout but where it comes to life is with the beautiful and brilliant colors from the blues of the ocean, reds of a boat fire, and skin tones of the toned and bronzed bodies of the lifeguards (well, sans Jon Bass). There were no noticeable instances of artifacting, aliasing or banding so it’s a clean looking transfer. |
4K/BD AUDIO – 4.75/5 |
| Both the 4K and Blu-ray discs come with a robust Dolby Atmos track which sounds fantastic. With the blend of action and comedy, there’s plenty to judge here from the waves of the ocean during the fire-boat rescue to the fireworks in another scene, there’s some nice depth while also providing clean dialogue via the center speaker with the rear channels being reserved for plenty of ambient noises and the soundtrack. The LFE also kicks in to add deepness for those action sequences. |
OVERALL – 3.75/5 |
|
Overall, Baywatch actually was a bit better than I expected as I did manage to chuckle throughout and the film does a good job honoring yet also making fun of the old series (a la 21 Jump Street). On the downside, there is an overreliance on dick jokes, presumably to make sure to get that R-rating. But otherwise, this is a worthy rental. This 4K release by Paramount includes excellent video and audio transfers and a so-so selection of special features. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.