(You guys are all soaking, sopping, dripping wet… and that‘s okay. Very okay.)
CAST: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Tyson Beckford, James Frain.
DIRECTOR: John Stockwell
All I could think of while watching INTO THE BLUE was just how much frickin’ fun it must have been to shoot. If there was ever a promotional video on just how awesome and thrilling scuba diving is, it’s this movie. Of course, before INTO THE BLUE came along, that title when to 1977’s THE DEEP.
That earlier movie starred Nick Nolte, Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, and her wet T-shirt, and was about two scuba divers who unwittingly discover not only the remains of an 18th century treasure ship - but also another vessel carrying a fortune in morphine contraband. Unfortunately, their efforts to recover the treasure are hampered by the desire of certain other factions to get ahold of all that morphine. Which leads to some very nasty confrontations.
INTO THE BLUE is essentially a remake of THE DEEP, but updated for a younger and hipper crowd. Paul Walker and Jessica Alba take on the roles of Jared and Sam. Jared is a Bahamas scuba instructor who has been obsessed with finding sunken treasure all his life. Sam is somewhat of a shark expert who is shacking up with Jared. Their lives are simple and humble but they are happy.
Unfortunately, all that happiness doesn’t last long. Cue the arrival of Bryce (Scott Caan), Jared’s best friend who is the polar opposite of Jared, profession-wise. Bryce is some rising Manhattan defense attorney who likes to live the fast life, and likes even faster women. Sure enough, he’s dragged along his latest fuck buddy, Amanda (Ashley Scott), who’s kind of a coke-whore.
Anyhow, these two couples spend the next few days doing the following: (1) flexing their hot bods in the sun; (2) rubbing their hot bods together in the sun; (3) drinking and partying and gyrating their hot buds together in the sun; and (4) slipping their hot bods into wetsuits to go diving under the sun. This last bit is what gets the plot kick-started.
See, during a series of freedives, our quartet of hotties discovers the following: (1) a dagger that looks like it came from a legendary lost ship; and (2) a plane wreck filled with tons and tons and tons and tons of cocaine. Which is worth millions and millions on the underground market.
And how was your day?
At any rate, you don’t have to be a marine biologist to figure out that Jared, Sam, Bryce, and Amanda basically make like a quartet of underwater Indiana Jones and try to uncover the remains of that treasure ship - all the while trying to ignore the forbidden lure of the contraband plane nearby. Good luck with that...
But what happens when Bryce and Amanda start thinking that recovering the cocaine will be more lucrative? Will Jared and Sam be able to resist? Or will they join Bryce and Amanda in their deal with a local night-club owner (Tyson Beckford) who has the means to sell the coke? What happens when the drug dealer who is the rightful owner discovers their find? And what about Jared’s treasure salvage rival, Bates (Josh Brolin)? Will he want in on the deal? Will this lead to an all-out battle for the drugs - with our two beautiful couple caught in the middle? Will the ancient treasure be forgotten in all this mess?
I hope so… that way I can jet on down to the Bahamas and recover it myself.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: INTO THE BLUE is the kind of film that will probably get made less and less as time goes on. I think the only reason it got made in 2005 was because it was deemed as quasi-remake of THE DEEP, which was a huge hit in the late-70’s. Had it been an original story, it might not have made it to the silver screen. Probably a TV movie or something. That’s not to say INTO THE BLUE is bad. Contrary to many reviews, it’s actually a fairly solid, tense, and engaging action/thriller with a sturdy plotline about buried treasure, drug runners, and beautiful people in danger.
See, INTO THE BLUE doesn’t have anything flashier going for it than the occasional glimmer of potential treasure in the azure depths. It’s more reliant on good old-fashioned suspense than it is on elaborate stunts or dazzling setpieces. The characters are relatably human (if more gorgeous than you or me) and fathomable, not superhuman ciphers. In fact, it’s the kind of film that you would’ve seen more of in the 70’s and 80’s that followed a simple, unadorned formula: an innocent hero (or heroes) dumped into a really bad situation. These days, that kind of film usually goes directly to DVD. The flashier fare is what makes it to the silver screen.
As I mentioned before, many critics rate INTO THE BLUE fairly low. That’s their opinion, and I respect it. However, I can only rate a film based on my intellectual and emotional reaction to it - and this film had me engaged on both tracks. The characters have just enough nuance in them to avoid becoming stereotypes. The action is brisk and exciting - but always believable (a rarity in today’s action/thrillers). And the direction and cinematography is vivid and evocative enough to put you right in the water with the characters. In short, a it’s a good, solid effort.
Much has been made of Paul Walker and Jessica Alba’s acting abilities - or purported lack of. I have to wonder if there isn’t some unfairness going on here just because these two are just so stunningly gorgeous. True, Walker’s easygoing nonchalance and open smile will not win him any brooding, mysterious roles anytime soon. But with INTO THE BLUE’s hero, Walker has found the perfect role. Jared is sort of a boy-next-door type who has some hidden gravity to him. On one hand a quirky goofball, on the other a self-assured and stubborn man of action, he makes for the perfect “eyes” through which the audience can view the story’s events. Walker also has the athletic skills to sell the character’s passion for scuba diving.
As for Jessica Alba, she is without question one of the most beautiful women in the world. I think this distinction has earned her some unfounded criticisms from certain quarters as being a bad actress. True, she will not give Meryl Streep a run for her money anytime soon, and yes, I did find her a bit disappointing in THE EYE (a role that had the potential to be an emotional powerhouse), but Alba has been fine in everything else I’ve seen her in. Always believable, never wooden as many claim she is.
In INTO THE BLUE, Alba is given a role that suits her strengths: a sweet, sunny, level-headed girl who is also not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone. As Jared’s moral compass, Sam keeps him from being lured into the temptation that the treasure and drugs offer. When she asks him “What’s missing in your life that you think money can get you?” you know exactly where she’s coming from. Without her, Jared would be lost. It’s a testament to the strength of Alba’s performance that we root for her and Jared all the way through.
As for the film’s comic relief, Scott Caan is hilarious and colorful as Jared’s much more glam buddy, Bryce. Caan and Walker are very credible as pals, exhibiting the raunchy-yet-respectful vibe that most close male friends and brothers have for each other. Jared and Bryce’s dynamic is just as important as the one between Jared and Sam.
And then there’s Ashley Scott as Amanda. Played up as sort of a “bad girl” to Sam’s “good girl,” Amanda is basically a female equivalent of Bryce. Amanda is actually quite pivotal to the plot, and a few of the film’s rather nasty plot twists are trigerred by her. In short, this girl is no angel - which is why Bryce is drawn to her. Scott keeps us similary invested in the character with a cool, sexy confidence and a feline allure.
The rest of the supporting cast - Josh Brolin, Tyson Beckford, James Frain - are memorably sinister in their roles of baddies. The threat that these three pose to our four heroes are considerable - and goes a long way in creating, sustaining, and amplifying the tension.
All in all, INTO THE BLUE will not knock your socks off, per se. If you give it a chance, though, I think you’ll find a good, solid thriller that will keep you entertained, engaged, amused, and energized for a good two hours.
And if you’re a diver, then you’ll like it even more…
