A movie based on the Baywatch TV series. That is a thing that is happening. It's still a little hard to swallow, and yet, here's the trailer, and it makes the movie look like it might actually be pretty good. Maybe. It's got solid jokes and some great action, and, of course, girls in swimsuits. Check it out. Fair warning, the language is NSFW.
The Baywatch trailer sets the movie up as a solid mix of action and comedy. We've got fight scenes and chases that would belong in any action movie, along with some decent jokes. It will be interesting to see how these two ideas balance in the final product. Will this be enough of an action movie for people who are looking for that in their summer movie viewing or should the film be looked at more as an R-rated comedy that happens to have some action in it? If there's enough of both to attract both audiences this could be a major hit.
The trailer sets up the film's apparent plot, which involves a new nightclub owner who is actually a criminal. The Baywatch lifeguards apparently figure that since the criminal enterprise is using their beach to smuggle contraband, it's on them to deal with the problem. It literally does sound exactly like the plot of an episode of the television series, which on the one hand fits with the general tone the movie is obviously trying to convey, but at the same time, it could be concerning.
If there's anything to be worried about it may be the movie's self-aware comedy. This trailer contains no less than two different jokes that make reference to the original Baywatch TV series. If there are too many more of those it could get overwhelming, on the other hand, if those are the only ones, they've been wasted in the trailer.
Zac Efron has shown that he's at home in the R-rated comedy genre following films like Neighbors and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. With Baywatch, he appears to have found yet another vehicle for the same sort of material. The Rock is as comfortable with comedy as he is with action and this trailer proves that yet again.
Beyond that, it will be interesting to see if all the pretty girls in the film are actually more than set dressing. For a TV series that is known for its attractive female cast, the show didn't always give those women very much to do. An argument could be made that the film doing the same would be keeping true to the source material. That's a bad argument. Hopefully, the actual film will let the women be more involved. At this point, it looks like only the villain has a substantive part.
Will you be hitting the beach when Baywatch opens May 26?
