The Guardian (2006, PG-13)

I have seen many bad movies that have received bad reviews.  I have also seen many good movies that have received bad reviews.  Between those two sections, the Guardian falls into the latter; it's a good (though not by any means great) movie that received poor reviews when released.

The story is formulaic, and yet, not entirely predictable.  The basic plot is a veteran coast guard rescue swimmer (Kevin Costner) is training a new hot shot recruit (Ashton Kutcher) to save lives in the Bering Sea.  The hot shot is all about breaking Costner's records, but he later learns that's all about saving lives in the end.

The Guardian has a good director: Andrew Davis.  I might as well add in here that Davis made the better film, the Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. 

I was entertained by the Guardian, and got a little more out of it then I expected.  The rescue scenes in the Bering Sea are pretty cool, enthralling and realistic.  So simply put, it's a good, underrated movie.  And honestly, I don't know what else to say.

                                          *** ½ /5