Baywatch English Movie

Feature Film | 2017 | A | Comedy
Critics:
Baywatch's entertainment is limited to scarce one-liners and the collective charm of the (almost) super-fit ensemble.
Jun 2, 2017 By Vighnesh Menon


Action-comedies have a lucrative, if divisive, position in American cinema. They are the kind of films which launch an immediate fan-base and sequels, when done right. Impactful lead characters, impressive baddies and intriguing complications normally make-for an acceptable brand of action comedy. Baywatch is a movie that has no interest in any of said traits and falls further with the help of a paper-thin plot.


It is clear that a movie like Baywatch would not push the boundaries of filmmaking. It expects to please the average moviegoer with a ton of laughs and fun. This feature-length remake of a beloved TV series, which in itself was camp galore, set out to charm one and all with a star-cast and inevitable nostalgia. The only problem is the whole simply isn't the sum of its parts. As the audience easily views through the froth, a cavity of creativity is all that is to be found. For a movie that romanticizes life-saving missions, it simply cannot save itself from drowning.


Baywatch casts two of Hollywood's biggest stars- Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron- in that buddy-cop space to either have testosterone-heavy showdowns or surprise each other through heroism and one-upmanship. Comparatively, Efron's character, Brody, undergoes a slight character arc. Apart from that, the screenplay takes a backseat the entire while.


The female characters are all, needless to say, eye-candy in all its glory. It is only natural to feel sorry for a character like Stephanie(Ilfenesh Hadera), who has absolutely nothing to do in the film and yet pretends to be a member of the team we should care for. Baywatch's characterization hits rock-bottom with Priyanka Chopra's villain, aggravated by the Indian actress' constant struggle to perform some tacky lines. Like a hangover from her Bollywood days, Priyanka's performance is way over the top and not of the desired kind.


If you thought the bay is the only thing always under threat in Seth Gordon's film, you are most likely wrong. Its authenticity is under as much threat, thanks to the clumsy CGI which looks as fake as all the events that take place there. 'Make-believe' isn't Baywatch's area of strength but that, unfortunately, happens to be one of the founding principle of cinema. So, good going.

Vighnesh Menon

   

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