INTO THE BLUE (John Stockwell). 110 minutes. Opens Friday (September 30). For venues and times, see Movie Listings. Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
The savvy posters for Into The Blue feature Jessica Alba ‘s and Paul Walker ‘s sleek, toned bodies bisected by the image of a diver descending to an old abandoned ship.
That’s what the film’s about: hidden treasure and not-so-hidden T & A.
The two play Sam and Jared, sun-kissed lovers trying to get by in the Bahamas. When Jared’s friend Bryce ( Scott Caan ) joins them with his one-night stand, Amanda ( Ashley Scott ), the four barely say hello before they’re peeling off their clothes, sucking on snorkels and discovering ancient treasure.
But, whoa, dude, wouldn’t you know it? Right next to the gold there’s another find: an airplane wreck full of cocaine. If they tell the cops, the whole area will be off limits. Bummer!
What’s surprising is how well the film works as a dumb thriller. Director John Stockwell also helmed the surfer movie Blue Crush, so he knows how to film in H2O.
The actors, who all seem able to hold their breath for long periods of time, deliver their lines with Baywatch bravado. When James Frain appears midway through as an evil drug lord, we’re startled that he can hold the screen without displaying his abs.
Funny thing about the film: it’s obsessed with sex – there’s practically a crotch-cam attached to Alba – yet there are no sex scenes, and the bluest language is the word “friggin’.”
That’s so it gets a PG-13 rating, ensuring that horny preadolescents can ogle Alba, then grapple with their own hidden treasures.
