INTO THE BLUE 
Starring:
Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Tyson Beckford, James
Frain and Josh Brolin
Director:
John Stockwell
Running Time:
110 mins
Out to buy on DVD 27/02/06
"Get out of the water, Sharks!"
Bryce
In the Bahamas, dive instructor Jared (Walker) could dream of nothing better than searching the ocean floor for the hidden sunken treasure but he never had the funds to even start. When his best friend Bryce (Caan) arrives in the Caribbean with access to a boat, Jared sees this as his chance to try and find something he can put a claim to. When they actually find a priceless treasure, it just happens to be located next to a plane wreak full of drugs and the drug dealer who lost them is searching the area to get them back.
Action movies set on the water have been very hit or miss but does 'Into the Blue' have what it takes to keep its head afloat or will it sink without a trace?
Action, adventure and the Caribbean combined with beautiful people and you have all the makings of a hit but audiences expect a bit more for their money these days. While the sight of Jessica Alba and Paul Walker wearing almost nothing in the tropical sun will appeal to both sexes, there also needs to be an element of plot and fortunately 'Into the Blue' has one, even though it may be slightly clichéd in parts.
With over six billion dollars worth of treasure lying undiscovered on the ocean floor, divers all over the world dream of finding something that could bring instant fame and fortune. The lead character in this movie is no different but his passion is not all consuming. He is grounded by his girlfriend Sam, who enjoys it for the adventure and spending time with Jared than for the money but it is his opportunistic best friend Bryce and his latest girlfriend Amanda that change all this. The discovery of the find and plane containing the drugs in same area of seabed leaves Jared with a moral dilemma. Does he sell the drugs to fund the search of the find or does he report the downed plane to the authorities? Of course nothing is that simple and that is when the action and danger begins.
If you are going to base your story in Caribbean you are not going to populate your cast with ugly people. Both Jessica Alba and Paul Walker are considered two of the most attractive people working in Hollywood today and putting them in swimwear for 90% of the movie is exactly what both red-blooded males and females want to see. Despite their amazing good looks however both of them can still act and make Sam and Jared very appealing characters. Joining them are Scott Caan and Ashley Scott, who also look good in swimwear and can also act, making the simple and clichéd premise and dialogue of the film a lot better than it should be. Throw in a good performance from a very facially hairy Josh Brolin and you have a decent ensemble cast.
'Into the Blue' is a movie that is surprisingly enjoyable even though the plot is predictable. The presence of Jessica Alba, Ashley Scott, Paul Walker and Scott Caan wearing almost nothing in the Caribbean sun will delight both female and male viewers and certainly makes the film all the more watchable. The action sequences and underwater photography are also very good allowing movie to make a bigger splash than it should have.
PICTURE & SOUND
Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented well.
BONUS FEATURES
Audio Commentary from Director John Stockwell
The man at the helm talks passionately about his latest movie in a commentary
that is a decent listen. Single person commentary tack are always difficult
to listen to and for those people doing them but John Stockwell does manage
to keep your interest throughout, regaling you will stories from the production.
He highlights the problems filming underwater and what his young cast
had to go through to make the film. This is a good commentary, especially
as it is from a single contributor.
Diving Deeper Into the Blue (20.34 mins)
Director John Stockwell, director of photography Peter Zuccarini and stars
Jessica Alba, Ashley Scott, Paul Walker, Scott Caan, Tyson Beckford and
Josh Brolin take you behind the scenes of the production of 'Into the
Blue'. Here we see how the cast and crew prepared for the underwater scenes
and the presence of sharks in the water. We also hear about the characters
and the story, with get actor talking about their parts and what they
got out of making the film.
Deleted Scenes (17.41 mins)
Entitled 'Saving Connor', 'Loading the truck', 'Beach house dive partners',
'Amanda on the boat', 'Sea Robin to the rescue', 'ATV ride', 'Roy talks
with Jared', 'Ambush at the trailer' and 'Bryce at the airport', these
deleted scenes have optional commentary by director John Stockwell.
Screen Tests (5.32 mins)
Watch audition screen test for Scott Caan and Tyson Beckford as they try
and secure their parts.
OVERALL
MGM's DVD presentation of 'Into the Blue' is pretty good. The featurette is informative and fun and the commentary is good for a single person effort. Fans of the film will be very pleased with this DVD offering.
DVD
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