From the very beginning this movie has you on the edge of your seat. There is no slow introduction to this film. You dive right into the action. The movie expresses to the audience how serious and dangerous it is to be a rescue swimmer. The movie also shows all the hard work one goes through in training. From the moment the recruits step off the bus, they go straight into boot camp. On the first day they pick up swimming gear, get crew cuts, and pick out bunk beds. Of course the movie doesn’t just focus on the career choice, but also on the characters.
The main characters of the movie are Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner. Ashton plays Jake Fischer, a hot- shot know it all trainee, and Kevin is Ben Randall in the movie, a dedicated U.S. Coast Guard who sleeps, eats and breaths rescue swimming. Ben becomes the new lead instructor and is in charge of the new recruits after going through a horrific accident with his crew. He only had two options, become an instructor or hang up his wet suit. Every so often he has flashbacks and nightmares of that night. Jake has a similar trauma that he has to deal with. From the beginning of training the two clash and but heads. The come from opposite worlds, but they have one thing in common, losing team players. Each one of them has their own challenges they must face and come to grips with. As you watch the characters go through their challenges, you start finding yourself being attached to them.
The movie also has a balance of drama and comedy, along with a little hint of romance. Ashton provides the comic relief throughout the film and along the way he also manages to pick up a girl through a bet. There even is a bar brawl thrown in the movie for an entertainment kick. It’s at this moment in the movie that Ben and Jake see eye to eye and realize they are on the same team. The film has a couple of turns, none of which you expect, and leaves you speechless. This excellent film goes in depth and because of that it gave me a better picture of what the Coast Guard does. As well as what it takes to be a rescue swimmer.