I still have memories of seeing David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson running along the beach in the intro to the TV show. Fast forward a few decades and we have a full blown remake turned movie of the same name “Baywatch.” Now I know what you’re thinking because initially, I was thinking the same thing: “How is this going to play out? Is this going to be hilarious or is this going to bomb?” Well, I come bearing great news folks, and that news is… It’s pretty damn funny.
Now in its simplest form, it looks like “Hey, let’s grab two guys with nice bodies that have ridiculously huge social media followings and thrown them in a movie that’s set on a beach and see what happens.” Well, it actually made for a decent, millennial generation comedy.
We jump into the story where devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) is making his normal rounds on the beach. Everyone on the beach knows him and feels safe because of his record number of ‘saves’ on the beach. Along with his teammates CJ (Kelly Rohrbach) and Stephanie (Ilfenesh Hadera), he captains the team through their daily adventures on the beach. The real story begins when he butts heads with a new recruit named Matt Brody (Zac Efron). He’s everything your typical self-centered douchebag tends to be but with specks of pharma bro. (Jeez, could you imagine?)
So Brody, who Mitch so affectionately trolls throughout the movie as “Jonas Brother” “One Direction” “Pretty boy” and “New Kids On The Block” to name a few, is a two-time gold medal olympian. Sadly, he’s known for falling flat when it came to the team competition and failed to get a medal for the relays. Now washed up, fate landed him in the arms of Mitch and his team of lifeguards, which he soon discovers does more than just save civilians in distress.
I’d say 80% of the comedy in this comes from either The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) or Zac Efron. The bulk of this movie rides on their shoulders but they are pretty funny together. Now, the reason this will probably do serious box office numbers is that just about everybody loves Dwayne Johnson. Seriously, everyone. I know this not just because of his social media following, but by the number of ear piercing screams when he appeared after our screening here in Atlanta.
So, of course, The Rock dropping by the screening added for dramatic effect and the wooing from all the women in attendance, but that doesn’t change the fact that this film was definitely geared toward young people. The cast, the type of comedy involved, all of that said: “Everyone who follows me on Instagram, you’ll love this movie!” I can definitely give this a 7 out of 10. The plot is realistic so props for that, but if you replace The Rock and Zac Efron with two other actors of humor, it would be close to the same film. Also, a bit of info that slipped under the noses of most, the film is Rated-R.
-Jon J.
