At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Continuing my plan to watch every Kevin Costner movie in his filmography in order, I come to 2006's The Guardian Plot In A Paragraph: Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) a high school swim champion, enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's "A" School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall (KC) teaches him some hard lessons as he believes he is there for the wrong reasons.There is absolutely nothing new here, we've seen everything before. Mainly in An Officer & A Gentleman, The Guardian is as cliché as it gets. But I for one find it an enjoyable movie.Almost every cliché is ticked along the way, (I think the only one they missed is Kutchers love interest not being KC's daughter) but that doesn't meant it isn't good. Both leads put in good performances and are well backed up by Neal McDonough, Clancy Brown, Brian Geraghty and John Heard.As for the characters, KC is grumpy, Kutcher is arrogant, Geraghty is suitably shy and nervous, but it's McDonough who I believe is what an instructor would be like in a place like this.Slated upon release, I can't recall reading one positive review, but I enjoyed it then, and I still do now, it's one both of my kids like too. It's one of the movies that if the kids walk in a room and I'm watching it, they will sit with me and watch the rest of it.

Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) is a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer. His wife Helen (Sela Ward) is leaving him. He loses his friend during a deadly accident in a rescue. After injuries and possible PTSD, he is forced to be an instructor at the Coast Guard "A" school. The new recruits include an arrogant champion swimmer Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) who is more interested in the swimming records. He meets Emily Thomas (Melissa Sagemiller) at a wedding. Ben is unconvinced of Jake's commitment and then he uncovers his hidden past.This starts with a couple of thrilling rescues. It puts the movie in a compelling spot. Then it turns into a traditional 'An Officer and A Gentleman'. It's a little too on-the-nose especially with Jake's story. I would have preferred a more interesting Jake performance. It also goes on a little too long. This shouldn't be over two hours long. It needs a bit of tightening including the climax. I may even suggest dropping the love interest but this is still Hollywood. It's a movie that starts strong and stays compelling despite its oddly strict-formulaic story.

This is not a bad movie but nearly every military movie has a scene in which the "hero" bets his buddies that he can pick-up a woman in the bar that they happen to be in. Our hero, of course to the surprise of his buddies is successful and wins the bet. This same plot device is used in "Top Gun", "G.I. Blues", "annapolis" and who knows how many other military movies and "The Guardian" also uses this. Come on movie makers, drop this tired old cliché' and come up with something new! Oh boy, here we go again with this ridiculous requirement that my review must have ten lines! I've already said what is necessary, I don't need ten lines to present this view. Why is this ten line rule required? It simply makes reviews much wordier than they need to be!

I never got to see this one in the theater, but it seemed interesting enough to give it a try. The story involves the Coast Guard's elite rescue swimmers. These are the men and women who go in during storms to rescue people, or if a ship is sinking, or any other waterborn operation. They have a very risky job, and only the best make it through the training. The story involves a young recruit(Kutcher) and a legendary older veteran(Costner). Kutcher is a champion swimmer, but he is hiding something inside him and may not be there for the right reasons. Costner has just lost his best friend on a mission, and is being forced into the position of teacher for some down time. He is also dealing with his wife leaving him. This movie is about growth in the student and teacher, and about sacrifice. It is shades of An Officer and a Gentleman with a little Perfect Storm thrown in. It is a well told and made film. Costner is a bit wooden at times, but he gets by with typical Costner charm. Kutcher is decent in the role. I still have trouble seeing him in non-comedic roles. Though I did like him in The Buttefly Effect. Overall this is a good movie. I would give it a try.