First Take: Baywatch- another TV to film adaptation...

SYPNOSIS:

Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchanan butts heads with a brash new recruit. Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.

This film has been attracting a lot of attention over the last few weeks, as Paramount have been promoting this one in a similar manner to that of the Jump Street films- but to a very mixed response from the critics. In the eyes of an ordinary, casual cinemagoer, I loved this new take on Baywatch, but as a critic, there are several major issues that can’t go unnoticed.

With Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon at the helm, I expected the pacing to be nice and tight, but what we have here is a film really padded out to a 1 hour 56 minute running time, and a little too focused on expositionary dialogue. Michael Berk’s script does have some great comic potential, but the way it is executed on-screen leaves a lot to the imagination- however, this did not stop it from passing the 6 laugh test at my screening.

The performances are generally decent, with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron driving what little plot there is forward, and even with Priyanka Chopra as the film’s villain, there is no emotional connection with the characters- but then again, much like the TV series that inspired it, this film isn’t meant to be taken seriously. From a technical standpoint, it is shot very well by Eric Steelberg, and the score from Christopher Lennertz does what it needs to do: provide escapism to audiences.

THE VERDICT

It’s not the greatest of films, but Baywatch provides a much needed piece of light relief in between the big blockbusters to come over the next few months. And while it’s a film that will divide the opinion of the critics, at the end of the day, it’s down to the mainstream audiences to make their minds up.

Rating: 3.5/5