Drug discovery plunks hot bods into hot water
Their abs are ripped, and so are their jeans. They're bronzed, they're bathing-suited - they're Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, and the rest of the gang in the drug-running, treasure-hunting Caribbean caper Into the Blue. It's The Deep reimagined as an Abercrombie catalog. Directed by John Stockwell, who showed his affection for lithe bods and big waves in the surfer pic Blue Crush, Into the Blue begins with a plane crashing into that blue - its cargo, millions of dollars' worth of illegal white stuff, buried in the coastal waters of the Bahamas.
Their abs are ripped, and so are their jeans. They're bronzed, they're bathing-suited - they're Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, and the rest of the gang in the drug-running, treasure-hunting Caribbean caper Into the Blue. It's The Deep reimagined as an Abercrombie catalog.
Directed by John Stockwell, who showed his affection for lithe bods and big waves in the surfer pic Blue Crush, Into the Blue begins with a plane crashing into that blue - its cargo, millions of dollars' worth of illegal white stuff, buried in the coastal waters of the Bahamas.
Wouldn't you know that Jared and Sam (Walker and Alba) discover the sunken fuselage, and the cocaine, when they're out scuba-ing around, looking for a legendary shipwreck. With Jared's best bro, Bryce (Scott Caan), and his saucy girlfriend Amanda (Ashley Scott) visiting from New York, the four try to figure what to do. Report the discovery to the authorities? Use the drugs to finance Jared's search for a Civil War-era pirate ship? Or just take a packet or two and party hardy for weeks?
For Jared, a "29-year-old dive bum" with a waterlogged boat and nothing resembling a job, the answer is easy: leave the plane alone. He's got ethics, after all, and a girlfriend who loves him, and who frowns on drugs. (Great Jessica Alba moment: when the salubrious star turns to the blond minx Amanda and snaps, "Shut up, you coke whore!")
But for Bryce, a lawyer who represents drug dealers, the temptation is too much. One thing leads to another, and soon flotillas of police, drug kings and a competing salvage team headed by Josh Brolin are circling the waters - along with schools of colorful fish and menacing sharks.
Into the Blue has a lot going for it: boat chases, car chases, disco dances, slugfests, suspense, and its two pinup stars. (Stockwell and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut shoot both Walker and Alba - and their underwater stunt doubles - with the same worshipful attention to detail.) And the movie's message is wholesome, even: that money doesn't matter as long as you have love.
Still, this is no classic. Like its characters, Into the Blue is swimming in shallow waters. It's eye candy with snorkels and fins. Pop, not profound.
Contact movie critic Steven Rea
at 215-854-5629 or srea@phillynews.com.
Into the Blue
** 1/2 (out of four stars)
Produced by David A. Zelon, directed by John Stockwell, written by Matt Johnson, photography by Shane Hurlbut, music by Paul Haslinger, distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Running time: 1 hour, 50 mins.
Jared. . . Paul Walker
Sam. . . Jessica Alba
Bryce. . . Scott Caan
Amanda. . . Ashley Scott
Bates. . . Josh Brolin
Parent's guide: PG-13 (violence, profanity, drugs, adult themes)
Playing at: area theaters