Reboots are easy to come by these days, and while many re-imaginings of classic properties try to stick close to their source material, others go for a full reinvention. In that regard, Baywatch could be considered the latter, as the raunchy, Dwayne Johnson-fronted update of the iconic 1990s series took a totally NSFW approach to the property. While Baywatch icon David Hasselhoff doesn't think it recaptured the spirit of the original series, he recently told CinemaBlend (ahead of the upcoming release of Killing Hasselhoff) that he appreciates the reboot's attempt to try something new, saying:
Baywatch, they used the title, they used the beach, but the rest of it was more like Dirty Grandpa. It was kind of an R-rated fun romp at the beach. And you know what? There's a giant audience for that. The Rock is probably the nicest guy I've ever met, next to me, and Zac Efron and the cast were so great and they embraced me so much so I have nothing but positive things to say about it. Was it like Baywatch? Not even close. Did they want it to be like that? No, they wanted to make something different, and it's doing quite well around the world.
Viewed through that lens, one could make the argument that the Baywatch reboot is a product of its time. The film aims more for the type of hard-R raunchy comedy that movies like Dirty Grandpa and Neighbors have put on full display, rather than attempt to go back to the well and make something in the spirit of the series. In the eyes of the Knight Rider star, this doesn't necessarily make Baywatch bad or good; it's just different from the show that he was on in the 1990s. Even if the film didn't become a smash with American audiences, it's doing great business overseas, which means fans seem to appreciate this new take on the material.
The Hoff's response to this question certainly seems to fall in line with opinions offered up by other Baywatch veterans. In fact, Pamela Anderson recently spoke out about the Baywatch film and admitted that she doesn't think any of the sex, nudity or language would've worked during her tenure in that universe. With two decades and a generation of pop culture touchstones separating these iterations of Baywatch, the new has arguably become pretty unrecognizable when compared to the old.
In fairness to Baywatch, this approach to rebooting a classic series is something that we have seen before. Phil Lord and Chris Miller attempted something similar with the 21 Jump Street franchise, and while that particular series has arguably met with a more positive critical reception than Baywatch, it seems to show a trend that many reboots are aiming for these days. They borrow heavily with regards to setting or premise, but the overall tones and styles change as they evolve for modern audiences.
You can catch David Hasselhoff as himself when Killing Hasselhoff premieres on DVD and VOD on August 29. As for Baywatch, the reboot of the classic series is now available on Digital HD, and the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the film will hit shelves on August 29.
