The Guardian

I'll say this for The Guardian—it's the best Coast Guard movie you'll ever see, said Jessica Reaves in the Chicago Tribune. Sure, it's also the only Coast Guard movie you'll ever see, but why get technical? After all, it's the beginning of Oscar season, and there are plenty of art-house movies in our future. 'œSometimes you want to buy an extra-large popcorn and settle in for a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster replete with entertaining explosions, undemanding dialogue, and completely unrealistic action sequences.' You know the drill: Ashton Kutcher is a brash young recruit with attitude to spare. Kevin Costner is the aging hero with a chip on his shoulder. 'œYou just know the pitch was something like, 'It's Top Gun meets An Officer and a Gentlemen in The Perfect Storm,'' said Bob Longino in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. There's nothing new to be done with this genre, and while it's nice that an unsung military branch is getting some big-screen love, you don't want to sit through two hours and 16 minutes of this soggy flick. Formulaic, yes, but this movie isn't terrible, said Kevin Crust in the Los Angeles Times. Costner is at his stoic best, and the kid from That '70s Show turns in a solid performance—he even manages to squeeze out some real-looking tears. 'œIt's entertaining enough, but strictly in a wait-for-cable way.'

Rating: PG-13

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