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"Into the Blue" overcomes stereotype |
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Written by JORDAN GREENBERG
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Friday, 30 September 2005 |
The latest from director John Stockwell, “Into the Blue” is an exciting plunge into a world of board shorts, sharks, pirates and sunken treasure. While tight stomachs and white teeth can’t substitute for superficial performances, Paul Walker and Jessica Alba still manage to hold our attention as young lovers fighting desperately to hold on to their dreams.
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"Into the Blue"
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 Entertainment
 Art
Directed by John Stockwell
Written by Matt Johnson
Starring Jessica Alba and Paul Walker
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, violence, drug material, some sexual content and language.
Released September 30, 2005
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Deep in the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas sunken ships trap untold millions in their watery holds. Seeking their piece of the bounty are part-time treasure hunters Jared and Sam (Walker and Alba). After the latest hurricane stirs the shallow sea beds, Jared and Sam seize the opportunity to search for newly uncovered shipwrecks. Joined by lawyer friend Bryce (Scott Caan) and his fling Amanda (Ashley Scott), the lovers make quick work in finding artifacts from the legendary wreck the Zephyr. While identifying their catch, the group stumbles upon the remains of a recent airplane crash. Inside the plane are three dead bodies and dozens of blocks of cocaine worth millions of dollars. Suddenly the friends’ simple sea salvage becomes a fight against temptation, separation, and untold surprises. As a whole, “Into the Blue” succeeds because it is easy on the mind and easy on the eyes. Jessica Alba, aside from being incomparably beautiful, shows that she can act believably as the voice of reason and the loving girlfriend of a man flirting with disaster. Paul Walker is not so impressive in his performance, but if you didn’t know what you were getting into when you bought your ticket at the box office…well now you know to expect less in the future. Scott Caan as Bryce has again worked to solidify the image he set for himself in previous films “Varsity Blues” and “Oceans 11”, as the funny, sarcastic, troublemaking sidekick. He is undoubtedly entertaining. Josh Brolin was a pleasant surprise as a rival treasure hunter, showing acting chops he hasn’t displayed since “The Goonies” in 1985, but Ashley Scott need not have showed up for all the presence she had. With “Into the Blue” director John Stockwell (Blue Crush) takes a script we’ve seen dozens of times and uses his cast to weave it into something both thrilling and modern. Underwater scenes show off more than the athletic bodies of the cast and rival the excitement and tension of the 1965 James Bond thriller “Thunderball.” With sharks, pirates, and drug dealers, swimming around the Bahaman waters our eyes are opened wide throughout this picturesque film. What more could you ask from this post-summer adventure?
Fighting the bias “Into the Blue” carries because of the previous work of its young cast and crew has proven difficult. The film opened fifth this week at the box office and hasn’t yet topped the $10 million dollar mark. Seeming to just tread water right now, this fun film still has air left in the tanks. Don’t sell this film short, it’s a small bar of silver buried in these early October wrecks. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
