Cast: Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Sela Ward, Melissa Sagemiller & Clancy Brown
Director: Andrew Davis
Rating:
Enetertainment Quotient: 50%
Genre: Action / Drama
Runtime: 136 min
MPAA rating: PG-13

Synopsis:

Randall (Kevin Costner) is a top-notch coast guard. He is so dedicated to his profession that his wife applies for a divorce. He also goes through lots of trauma because he could not rescue his own team member. He takes up an assignment to be the instructor of the coast guard trainees. There he meets Fischer (Ashton Kutcher). Fischer is a man with passion and burning ambition. The rest of the story is all about how Randall makes Fischer the finest coast guard.

What is special in this film?
Costner gives a mature performance. Ashton Kutcher, known for teen flicks comes up with impressive work. The director brings out the emotion of the coast guards feeling a sense of responsibility and their willingness to sacrifice.

What I did not like in the film?
Film is pretty slow. The last half an hour of the film drags. The climax should have been handled better.

The scenes I liked:

1. Jack appreciating a student after being kicked by him.
2. Randall going back to the bar and settling scores with the navy men.
3. The conversation between Fischer and Randall

Fischer: What’s your number?
Randall: 22
Fischer: I thought it would be around 200
Randall: It is the number of people I could not save. I don’t have the habit of counting the number of people I saved.

A mix of films:
This film seem to be a mix of a few films –

1. Top Gun: Top Gun is about aviation and The Guardian is about coast guard.
2. An officer and a gentleman: The relationships
3. Vertical limits: one of the two sacrifices his life because the rope cannot bear the weight of two people.

Tailpiece:
The training school part of the film is good. However, the first 20 minutes and last 20 minutes are not handled well. On a whole, it is an OK film.